Erin Cantrell-Pryor received over $212,500 in scholarships at DCHS Thursday, the largest total award presented to any student, including a $186,000 scholarship from Cornell University
Rawlin Vanatta, owner/operator of the White Possom Grille in Smithville, talked about jobs in the culinary arts during Career Day at DeKalb West School
DCHS Class of 2013 Scholarship Recipients at Awards Day
Singer/Songwriter Sam Mullins talked to 6th-8th grade students at DeKalb West School about careers in music at the annual Career Day, coordinated by School Counselor Bill Conger.
Junior DCHS Golfer Mallory Sullivan signs with Cumberland University to play golf after she graduates. Members of her family joined Mallory at the signing Thursday along with DCHS Coach Joe Pat Cope
School Board Votes 4-1 to make cuts in Tentative Budget for 2013-14. (OLDER PHOTO) (READ STORY UNDER LOCAL NEWS)
DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps, Valedictorian Taylor Leach, Salutatorian P.J. Carroll, State Rep Mark Pody, State Sen. Mae Beavers, State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver, and Director of Schools Mark Willoughby
Smithville Crime Stoppers Board meets with D.A. Randy York: Officer Matt Farmer, Shawn Jacobs, Randy York, Gayla Hendrix, John Daniels, Karen Caplinger, Mayor Jimmy Poss, and Phillip (Fluty) Cantrell
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society for Key Women Educators welcome new members Mandy Dakas and Kathy Bryant into the Beta Theta Chapter. Pictured with long-time members, Louise Frazier and Jenelle Pugh.
Sheriff Patrick Ray, detectives, deputies, and TBI agent Billy Miller examine Chevy Blazer pulled from the lake where Putnam County woman died after the vehicle ran into the water. (See Videos)
Chevy Blazer Pulled from Center Hill Lake at Johnson Chapel Boat Ramp. Putnam County woman died after the vehicle submerged in the water. Two others escaped unharmed (See videos)
Woman Dies After Chevy Blazer Runs off Boat Ramp and Submerges in Lake (SEE VIDEOS UNDER LOCAL NEWS)
Retiring teachers from Smithville Elementary left to right and their years of service. Ms. Jan Thomas- 35 years, Mrs. Sue Driver- 39 years, Mrs. Mary Pugh- 30 years
Cancer Survivors at Relay for Life
Presentation of the Colors by Boy Scout Troop #347 at Relay for Life
Crowd enjoys David Turner and Friends at Relay for Life
David Turner and Friends entertain at Relay for Life
On Friday, May 10, the Cookeville Children's Theater performed "Seussical" at both DMS and Smithville Elementary School. Picture by Lisa Craig
A total of forty five students will be competing during the Eighth Annual DeKalb County Spelling Bee Tuesday night, February 8th at 6:00 p.m. at DeKalb County High School.
WJLE will broadcast it LIVE.
Students from DeKalb Middle School, DeKalb West School, and Northside Elementary School recently competed at the school level to become eligible for the county competition.
Along with students from thirty nine other counties, the first and second place winners in the DeKalb County Spelling Bee will compete in the Tennessean Regional Spelling Bee on March 2nd at Belmont University in Nashville.
The winner of the Regional Spelling Bee will compete in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
The purpose of the County Wide Spelling Bee is to help students improve spelling skills, increase vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.
Participants in this year's County Wide Spelling Bee are:
Northside Elementary School:
Fourth Grade- Madi Cantrell, Madison Colwell, Madelyn Hale, Molly Hall, Dulce Maciel, Ashley Phillips, and Derek Young
Fifth Grade- Kayla Belk, Madison Cripps, Abbie Fontanaz, Olivia Fuson, Austin Johnson, Hayley Martin, Allison Maynard, and Shauna Pedroza.
DeKalb Middle School:
Sixth Grade-Halle Burton, Madison Dickens, and Alyssa Sewell
Seventh Grade- Chase Bryant
Eighth Grade- Brandon Chapman, Lenzi Dickens, Matthew Foutch, Kelsey Hedge, Justin Johnson, Kara Kanipe, Lauren Kilgore, Ben Mahaffey, Brooke Reffue, Makayla Starnes, and Jacob Washer.
With the latest report card on DeKalb County Schools showing that Northside Elementary and it's feeder school Smithville Elementary did not meet the established benchmark in the Hispanic subgroup for Reading/Language Arts according to the No Child Left Behind mandate, letters have been sent home to parents of these students giving them an option to transfer their children to DeKalb West School, which did meet the benchmark, or the students may participate in after school tutoring.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, children in schools in need of improvement must be given the opportunity to transfer to other public schools in their district, and under the law, school districts are required to tell parents about this option, as well as pay for transportation to the other schools.
Along with the letters, parents of Northside and Smithville Elementary School students have also received a form to fill out and return by February 4th if they want to take advantage of the "Public School Choice" option which would allow them to transfer their child or children to DeKalb West School.
Last year, Northside and it's feeder school, Smithville Elementary, were identified by the Tennessee Department of Education as "Target schools" in DeKalb County because a sub-group of students with disabilities failed to meet the adequate yearly progress (AYP) benchmark in the Reading and Language Arts category.
Northside and Smithville Elementary are now identified as schools in "School Improvement 1", which means that students did not meet state and federal goals within the Hispanic subgroup in Reading/Language Arts.
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Dr. Danielle Collins, Federal Programs Supervisor for the School System, explained that parents of students at Northside or Smithville Elementary are not required to transfer their child or children to DeKalb West School. It is only an option available to them. "Every spring, students in grades 3 though 8 take the TCAP tests. We get these results in various sub-groups, such as all students, white, Hispanic, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged, and limited English Proficient students. We get scores back in many categories, however we did not meet the benchmark in the Hispanic subgroup according to the No Child Left Behind mandate. All other subgroups met or exceeded these benchmarks. Because of not meeting in this one specific subgroup, we are required by law to send out the letters offering public school choice. This is an option that they may wish to choose, however it is not a requirement. If you choose not to transfer your child, you may be interested in the after school tutoring program. Both options are on the application. If you would like to take advantage of either, please complete the form and return it to the DeKalb County Board of Education. We want you to understand that Northside and Smithville Elementary are both great schools with great teachers."
Michelle Burklow, Supervisor of Instruction for Pre-K to 6th grade, said that while letters were sent to all parents of children attending Smithville Elementary and Northside Elementary concerning a transfer to Choice School (DeKalb West), if the numbers of students planning to make the move should exceed the west school's capacity, priority for first choice will be given to the lowest-achieving students from low-income families. "Because of the limited capacity that we have at DeKalb West School, we've set guidelines on students being able to transfer. There's certain guidelines that we have to follow to transfer students."
Since Northside and Smithville Elementary must meet achievement goals for two straight years before no longer being identified as "high priority schools", Burklow said students planning to transfer to DeKalb West this year will be given the same opportunity next year. "It's for the remainder of this school year, however when a school does move into school improvement, it is a two year cycle so when we meet those benchmark goals for next year, those children will still have an option of transferring to DeKalb West School, just simply because of the two year cycle that we will be locked into."
Burklow added that parents planning to take advantage of this may provide transportation of their children to DeKalb West or the school system will provide it.
So far, Burklow said most parents who have responded have indicated a desire for the after school tutoring program, rather than transferring their children to DeKalb West.
