How often do we truly have the opportunity to change the face of our community?  Nearly a half-century ago, residents of Kingsport did just that with the construction of the Dobyns-Bennett High School facility.  In the coming months, we will enter the next phase of world-class education in Kingsport with the construction of the Regional Science and Technology Center at D-B.  This game-changing addition will not only provide a wide range of enhanced educational opportunities for KCS students, but will also serve to drive science and technology development throughout the entire region.

Where does the project stand at this point?  This week, the Saturday Six takes a look at six things you should know about the Regional Science and Technology Center that will truly differentiate Kingsport City Schools in our region!

1. There are four overall goals for the Regional Science and Technology Center facility:
   • Adding an enhanced science and technology program at D-B with new facilities and programming, while also increasing D-B’s student capacity.
   • Defining the D-B main entrance.
   • Improving circulation and accessibility at D-B for students and staff.
   • Capitalizing on an opportunity for a new identity for the D-B facility, while maintaining the current design and legacy elements.
2. Visioning work on the Regional Science and Technology Center actually began back in May 2016 with a session involving D-B staff members and a focus on design and programming.  Since that time, conceptual design and programming work (July 2016), schematic design (August/September 2016), and design development (November 2016) have been ongoing.
3. As designed, the new three-story facility will include 18 science and technology labs, two teacher work spaces, six student work spaces, one TEAL (Technology Enhanced Active Learning) lab, one large research lab, and four small research labs.
4. What will be happening in these incredible new learning spaces?  Expanded STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming will provide a wide range of new educational experiences for KCS students, focusing on five key areas:
   1. Supporting scientific inquiry and discovery;
   2. Fostering creativity and problem solving;
   3. Offering meaningful career opportunities;
   4. Providing application-based experiences through an integrated curriculum, and;
   5. Utilizing the power and flexibility of technology.
5. The Regional Science and Technology Center will also serve a vital purpose in adding capacity to the D-B facility.  With the new construction and added seat-space, the capacity of D-B will increase to support 2,500 students at 85% utilization.
6. When will construction on the RSTC begin?  As currently scheduled, you’ll start seeing work taking place in the Fall of 2017, with a projected move-in date of Winter 2018/19.

What an exciting and bold move forward for our entire community!  Click here to view an expanded presentation about the Regional Science and Technology Center.  Also, keep an eye on the KCS Facilities Update webpage for additional information on the RSTC and other facility news in the coming months.

How often do we truly have the opportunity to change the face of our community?  Nearly a half-century ago, residents of Kingsport did just that with the construction of the Dobyns-Bennett High School facility.  In the coming months, we will enter the next phase of world-class education in Kingsport with the construction of the Regional Science and Technology Center at D-B.  This game-changing addition will not only provide a wide range of enhanced educational opportunities for KCS students, but will also serve to drive science and technology development throughout the entire region.

Where does the project stand at this point?  This week, the Saturday Six takes a look at six things you should know about the Regional Science and Technology Center that will truly differentiate Kingsport City Schools in our region!

1. There are four overall goals for the Regional Science and Technology Center facility:
   • Adding an enhanced science and technology program at D-B with new facilities and programming, while also increasing D-B’s student capacity.
   • Defining the D-B main entrance.
   • Improving circulation and accessibility at D-B for students and staff.
   • Capitalizing on an opportunity for a new identity for the D-B facility, while maintaining the current design and legacy elements.
2. Visioning work on the Regional Science and Technology Center actually began back in May 2016 with a session involving D-B staff members and a focus on design and programming.  Since that time, conceptual design and programming work (July 2016), schematic design (August/September 2016), and design development (November 2016) have been ongoing.
3. As designed, the new three-story facility will include 18 science and technology labs, two teacher work spaces, six student work spaces, one TEAL (Technology Enhanced Active Learning) lab, one large research lab, and four small research labs.
4. What will be happening in these incredible new learning spaces?  Expanded STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming will provide a wide range of new educational experiences for KCS students, focusing on five key areas:
   1. Supporting scientific inquiry and discovery;
   2. Fostering creativity and problem solving;
   3. Offering meaningful career opportunities;
   4. Providing application-based experiences through an integrated curriculum, and;
   5. Utilizing the power and flexibility of technology.
5. The Regional Science and Technology Center will also serve a vital purpose in adding capacity to the D-B facility.  With the new construction and added seat-space, the capacity of D-B will increase to support 2,500 students at 85% utilization.
6. When will construction on the RSTC begin?  As currently scheduled, you’ll start seeing work taking place in the Fall of 2017, with a projected move-in date of Winter 2018/19.

What an exciting and bold move forward for our entire community!  Click here to view an expanded presentation about the Regional Science and Technology Center.  Also, keep an eye on the KCS Facilities Update webpage for additional information on the RSTC and other facility news in the coming months.

This coming Wednesday, Kingsport City Schools will officially cut the ribbon on our new facility for D-B EXCEL, a Dobyns-Bennett program of choice specializing in blended-learning classes and featuring flexible scheduling for students.  The new facility is located at 400 Clinchfield Street, adjacent to the KCS Administrative Support Center.  We invite you to take part in this special celebration at 10 a.m., with tours taking place immediately following the ribbon cutting.  Click here for more information related to the open house!

To refresh your memory and get you ready for next week’s celebration, here are six facts about D-B EXCEL.

1. D-B EXCEL is not an alternative school!  DBE provides students of all types a unique way to earn a D-B diploma.  There is no “typical” DBE student… They are students that seek a smaller learning environment and students that, for whatever reason, desire a flexible high school schedule.  The DBE student is one that seeks a different path than the traditional high school environment.
2. D-B EXCEL offers a variety of scheduling options.  Students at DBE can take courses in the environment that best suits their individual needs.  Full-time blended-learning students take their classes online at the DBE facility, but with the ongoing support and “shoulder-to-shoulder” guidance of a teacher in the classroom.  This truly is an individualized approach to learning!
3. It’s not just the physical learning environment that is individualized.  By providing a learning platform that is specifically unique to each child, students even have the flexibility to speed up or slow down the learning process.  The pace of learning depends on the needs of the individual student… meaning the student can work quickly through content that is already known and spend longer on items where more support is needed.
4. Many students at D-B EXCEL participate in courses at the main D-B campus.  Attending D-B EXCEL doesn’t mean you can’t participate in experiences at D-B.  Many DBE students participate in D-B Band and extra curricular activities such as sports.  Transportation options exist to help students take advantage of such opportunities.
5. The new D-B EXCEL facility helps support the whole learner!  Students in the new DBE facility are able to utilize a variety of lab and technology environments, including a makerspace that includes 3-D printing and an opportunity to take part in video production.  A cafe also provides food service and a welcoming environment for additional academics and community-building!
6. D-B EXCEL is growing!  Currently, over 200 students attend D-B Excel, receiving personalized academic attention from a wide variety of teachers and staff members.  The staff is able to provide a deep level of instruction and support to DBE students, both in-person and online.

Want to learn more about D-B EXCEL?  Is it right for your family?  Find out more by contacting Principal Mrs. Shanna Hensley at shensley@k12k.com.

The serve thousands of meals each day and are a key component in the effort to support a healthy learning environment for all KCS students.  Today, the Saturday Six shines a spotlight on the KCS School Nutrition Services (SNS)!

KCS School Nutrition works hard serve a wide range healthy foods so that students are primed and ready to learn.  While meeting USDA regulations (including offering lower sodium and saturated fat food items), the menus offer daily fresh fruits and vegetables and 100% whole grain breads and starches.  In addition, all snacks and beverages offered are USDA smart snack compliant.  All the while, food offerings are sought and selected to best appeal to student taste and satisfaction.  Items such as the middle and high school daily garden fresh salad bar provide healthy food alternatives,  and the alternative breakfast program gives students the opportunity to eat the most important meal of the day after the bell rings.

Let’s look at six things you may not know about the KCS School Nutrition program!

1. Kingsport SNS staff serves more than 5,000 meals each day.  Over the course of a school year, that totals approximately 1 million meals served.  Wow!
2. At only $1.5o for breakfast and $2.25 (elementary) or $2.50 (middle & high) for lunch for students, a KCS school meal is one of the best deals in town!
3. As great as those prices are, starting in 2016, KCS is participating in a new Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program.  This program allows high-poverty schools to offer breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students.  CEP is part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) and supports students at Jackson Elementary School, Johnson Elementary School, Kennedy Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, Roosevelt Elementary School and Sevier Middle School.
4. Did you know that through an innovative online portal, parents can place funds in their child’s meal account electronically?  Using the MyPaymentsPlus program, families can avoid having to send cash or check with their child to school for meal purchases.  Click here to find out more about this online option.
5. Speaking of online, the KCS website keeps an up-to-date listing of breakfast and lunch menu calendars.  You’ll never again wonder what’s for lunch at school!  Click here to view the complete meal menus.
6. The SNS program is completely self-supporting.  Through the purchase of food items and federal meal reimbursements, SNS expenses are funded without the use of KCS general purpose funding.

And here is a bonus fact… KCS cafeterias are inspected twice each year by the Tennessee Department of Health.  Did you know that during the past year, all KCS cafeterias received a perfect score of 100 on a health inspection?  That’s pretty impressive!

The next time you have the opportunity, have a meal in a KCS school cafeteria.  You’ll be glad you did!

This weekend kicks off National School Counseling Week in the U.S. and Kingsport City Schools is blessed to have an outstanding team of school counselors supporting the development of our students.  This year’s theme is “School Counseling:  Helping Students Realize Their Potential.”  But did you ever stop to consider exactly what our school counselors do and how they help our students maximize their potential?

In this week’s Saturday Six, let’s explore six ways that KCS school counselors help Kingsport students pursue world class!

1. School counselors work with ALL students.  They meet students where they are emotionally, academically and socially and help guide them to the next stage in their personal development path.
2. School counselors work with students on three domains of development: Academic, career, and social/personal.  By focusing on these domains, they help students become successful and well-rounded adults and problem-solvers.
3. The role of the school counselor changes as students mature and move through different developmental stages.  The elementary school counselor’s job is much different than that of the high school counselor, but still focuses on supporting student growth and development among the three domains.
4. School counselors collaborate with teachers, administrators, parents and community agencies to ensure that they are meeting the needs of our students.  In many occasions, school counselors are a vital link between schools and outside agencies.  This ensures continuity of care and resources for both the student and family.
5. School counselors support student academic growth by helping to uncover possible blocks that might be hindering progress.  These blocks might include grief issues, family concerns, study skills and organizational issues, and friendship issues, among other things.
6. School counselors CARE for students!  They provide a safe and supportive place for students to solve problems and move forward in their development.

At its core, school counselors as helpers … they help students … they help teachers … they help families … they help our community.  Thank you, school counselors, for making our students and our world a better place!  You consistently show what happens when a healthy dose of idealism is paired with action in a caring environment… Positive change is the result!