Cora Cox Academy Graduates Largest Class

We persevere,

How do you define success? It may be different for each of us, but for most folks, we likely think about crossing a finish line after embarking on some type of life journey. At this time of year, graduation ceremonies provide the opportunity to celebrate the academic accomplishments of students who have reached a successful conclusion to their school experience. It is one way we acknowledge the hard work and effort required to earn a diploma.

For many, that journey may be a direct path. But for some, the road to that graduation finish line might look a bit different. For a variety of reasons, life may cause it to be a winding road rather than a straight line. That is what makes the 2014 graduating class of Cora Cox Academy so unique and so extraordinary. Undaunted by whatever challenges life my have thrown at them, these young men and women demonstrated the commitment necessary to graduate high school and successfully prepare themselves for the next stage of their lives. They are to be greatly commended for understanding the importance of completing high school and for committing themselves to accomplishing that goal.

On May 21, 2014, the largest graduating class in Cora Cox Academy history crossed the stage and received their diploma, signifying the completion of their high school journey. It marked the next step in the growth and evolution of CCA, which offers students a unique path to a high school diploma. In the coming months, this innovative approach to a personalized high school education will grow to include both a virtual academy with expanded online course offerings and a non-traditional high school academy, where flexible spaces and scheduling will help to serve a student population with diverse needs and abilities. It’s an exciting and cutting-edge approach that focuses on individual student needs to provide all children a path to high school graduation… especially ones that may find success in the traditional high school setting more challenging.

As the recent Cora Cox Academy graduates demonstrated, great things can be accomplished when you dedicate yourself to doing whatever is necessary to reach that finish line. And with the non-traditional approach being developed at CCA, even more students will have the opportunity to take this vital step in their life journey. To the CCA Class of 2014, we salute you for not allowing the winding and difficult road of life from deterring you from reaching your goal of a high school diploma. You set a wonderful example for us all, and we look forward to celebrating that next finish line with you.

We persevere… We are KCS!

Tennessee Titan Coty Sensabaugh Gives Back to Kingsport

We give back…

In the long and storied history of Dobyns-Bennett High School, there have been countless graduates that have developed their personal talents and gone on to great professional success. Take a glance through the list of D-B alumni, and you’ll quickly discover some of our nation’s finest and most successful individuals. You’ll find the likes of business leaders, military generals, and captains of industry.

In April, one of D-B’s most recent athletic success stories returned to Kingsport to share his personal journey and impress upon our students the importance of education. Current Tennessee Titan and D-B grad Coty Sensabaugh visited several KCS schools to share his message and encourage students to take advantage of the great educational opportunities in KCS. Through his talent, dedication, and commitment, Coty has been provided a platform where he can influence the youth of our community. How impressive that he takes advantage of this to come back and provide such a positive message to our students.

What is even more impressive is that Coty doesn’t just talk the talk. He is serious about using his good fortune to help support the community that, in his words, provided him so much support during his development. On June 14, 2014, the 2nd Annual Sensabaugh Camp Classic will take place at J. Fred Johnson Stadium. This non-contact youth football camp is open to all children, boys and girls, from ages 6-17. In addition to receiving personal instruction from Coty, other NFL players, and coaches, campers will receive a camp t-shirt and lunch.

But what sets Coty’s camp apart from many others (and also demonstrates his loyalty and commitment to Kingsport) is that the camp is totally free to participants. Yes… that is correct. There is no fee for any aspect of the camp. Children can come and learn about football, physical health, and teamwork from positive role models that take seriously the concept of using their good fortune to help others. For more information about the camp and to register, visit www.sensabaughcampclassic.com.

Coty walks the walk. What a great example of someone who recognizes his ability and potential to positively influence our children and community.

We give back… We are KCS!

KCS Students Display Their Patriotism

We are patriotic…

It happens in classrooms all across Kingsport each and every day. To some, it may seem like just another ordinary routine. But for students in Kingsport City Schools, it is an exercise in freedom and civic understanding. It’s the Pledge of Allegiance, and for our students and teachers, it’s how we begin our day. During this school year, students and teachers have had the privilege of participating in WKPT-TV’s regular morning broadcast of the Pledge, which has aired during “Good Morning America” and has also been posted on the KCS and WKPT Facebook pages. It has been a fun way for parents and community members to see our students displaying their patriotism. And let’s face it… It’s always exciting to see your daughter/son/grandchild on television, right?

However, there is a bigger issue at play here. This is just one of many things occurring in our schools every day that stress citizenship, honor, and civic responsibility. In a day and age where these traits are often overshadowed by the many voices of popular culture, it’s important that children know and understand the country in which we reside. We are privileged to live in this great nation and to be a part of a special school system. In helping our students become excellent in their academic and social pursuits, we also take seriously the need to support and assist in the development of informed, knowledgeable, and responsible citizens.

Kingsport City Schools strives to educate and develop the whole child. Whether it’s the responsibility instilled through rigorous academic pursuits and extra-curricular activities, the sportsmanship taught through participation in athletics, or the many important life lessons learned both inside and outside of the classroom, our students are growing and developing each and every day. We are proud to play such an important part in the nurturing of Kingsport’s next generation of citizens and leaders. It’s a vital role in ensuring that we all understand our heritage, our responsibilities, and our pride in our community and country.

We are patriotic… We are KCS!

We Celebrate Our Educators

We are educators…

This week, schools and communities all across America are celebrating “Teacher Appreciation Week.” It’s a time set aside to show our appreciation to the people who have dedicated their lives to helping our children learn and grow. Personally, I believe it’s about 51 weeks too short, but that’s a discussion for another day. However, the recognition got me thinking about how we define the word “teacher.”

Of course, it can refer to what we typically think of as a classroom teacher… the person who’s name is on the classroom door and on the top of the report card when it goes home each nine weeks. I’m sure that when Teacher Appreciation Week was conceptualized, those are the individuals they had in mind. The dedication it takes to be a classroom teacher is enormous. It’s a position that requires a huge amount of preparation, professional learning, data review, content knowledge, and teaching skill. Combine a full-time teacher, social worker, parent, friend, statistician, mentor, student, and advocate… That’s a more complete picture of what it actually takes to be a teacher today.

But what about all the other people that contact and influence our children each day? Aren’t they “teachers,” just as well? What about the bus driver that may spend an hour each day with our children and likely learns more about their ins and outs then we’ll ever know? What do they teach our kids about reliability, safety, and friendship? What about the cafeteria workers that are there each day with friendly faces and a hot meal? Aren’t they providing life lessons in nutrition, service, and teamwork? The examples are found all throughout our workforce, schools, and community, and they give their best to support the 7,000 children that enter our schools each day.

In Kingsport, we don’t just refer to this week as “Teacher” appreciation week, because we feel that every one of our employees contributes to the growth of our students. We believe that all KCS employees, regardless of job title, are educators. It’s a group of over 1,100 diverse individuals that give their very best to our children, and deserve our thanks, not just this week, but all throughout the year.

So to the teacher, instructional assistant, secretary, bookkeeper, office assistant, custodian, bus driver, maintenance worker, counselor, nurse, cafeteria worker, therapist, psychologist, curriculum coordinator, technology specialist, coach, finance worker, administrator, and all other educators that work for Kingsport City Schools, we thank you. Not just today or during Teacher Appreciation Week, but each and every day of the year. You continually give of yourself to improve our children, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

We are educators… We are KCS.

John Sevier Middle School Student Council… A Four-Star Organization of Servant Leaders

We are leaders…

What is the purpose of attending public school?

It’s a seemingly simple question, but one that may elicit many different opinions, depending on whom and when you ask the question. Certainly, academic growth and achievement is always at the top of the list. As is developing toward college and/or career readiness. Growth of the whole child is critical, in areas such as the arts, athletics, and music. The “priority list” could, in fact, be quite lengthy.

For a group of students at John Sevier Middle School, “Servant Leadership Development” is clearly a focus. Led by faculty sponsors Rachel Wagner and Heather Donihe, these students have committed to developing themselves not only as students and learners, but also as leaders in their school. Their efforts are being recognized not only throughout the Sevier community, but also at the state level. The Tennessee Association of Student Councils has honored the JSMS Student Council with their “Four Star Award,” the top honor given to a school student council. In fact, only five middle schools in Tennessee received this prestigious honor in 2014.

The criteria to receive the award is incredibly difficult. During the past school year, the JSMS Student Council completed over 20 projects throughout their school and community in attempting to qualify. These projects involved community and school service, fundraising, communications, faculty and staff relations, leadership development, and school spirit. Much selfless work was completed. It’s the exact type of work that serves to develop community-minded individuals that grasp the importance of placing others above self… the type of individuals that as middle school students, are already understanding what it means to be leaders in the true sense of the word.

Congratulations to all the members of the JSMS Student Council for your shining example of servant leadership. For your selfless sacrifice and commitment to your school and community, you are absolutely deserving of the honor given by the Tennessee Association of Student Councils. Well done George Armentrout, Jackson Bass, Charles Chervanik, Samuel Cleek, Caitlyn Cole, John Lewis Corker, Leland Corker, Emily Godsey, Tanner Guske, Jasper Hunley-Bota, Olivia LaHair, Morgan Malcolm, James Root, Callie Stidham, Zach Sublett, Aja Thomas, Aubrey Vincent, Rithvik Vutukuri, and Katie Williams!

We are leaders… We are KCS.

Roosevelt Elementary Students Create Butterfly Garden

We are unique…

So how can real learning take place in our schools and classrooms… where students move beyond textbook resources and develop deep personal understandings of the subjects they study? How can a community come together to ensure that all students have rich learning environments that take learning to an entirely new level? And how can we ensure that these experiences cater to the individual needs and interests of our children? For the students in the Roosevelt Elementary School Life Skills class, it began with a little help, a lot of ambition, and a cooperative spirit that has led to a large-scale project full of excitement and new learnings.

Beginning in November, 2013, Life Skills teacher Morgan Saunders applied for and received an Eastman “Putting Children First” grant. These funds, generously supplied by Eastman Chemical Company, support and encourage innovative classroom-level projects all across northeast Tennessee. In Ms. Saunders class, it allowed for an in-depth life-cycle project to occur through the creation of a fully developed butterfly garden.

Through this study, Ms. Saunders, her students, and the staff at Roosevelt have reared over 100 painted lady butterflies, built and planted a sustainable butterfly garden, and released the butterflies into their garden creation. Along the way, they have experienced numerous classroom opportunities focusing on investigation, the sequencing of life cycles, habitats, and the stages of development. Lasting from November through May, this extended hands-on study provided countless opportunities for learning, excitement, and growth.

Every Kingsport City Schools student has individual talents and interests. With the help of Eastman, Ms. Saunders has been able to cultivate a curiosity and love of science in her students, leading to a hands-on, learning-rich environment. We are fortunate to have such fantastic corporate partners that make these unique opportunities possible, and such terrific children that thrive in the excitement of new learning.

Just like the butterflies they released into their new habitat, the students at Roosevelt are distinct individuals, full of life and beauty, and certainly ready to fly!

We are unique… We are KCS.

Dobyns-Bennett High School Dramahawks

We are exceptional…

When the long and successful history of Dobyns-Bennett academic and extra-curricular programs are considered, you’d better make sure to place the D-B Theatre Department very close to the top of the list. With a litany of local, regional, and state honors achieved, Director Debbie Coram continues to develop the “Dramahawks” into some of the finest actors and actresses in the state. The bar continues to remain high, and our students (not surprisingly), continue to surpass those high expectations.

Earlier this month, D-B students again struck it big at the state drama tournament in Nashville, winning top honors in a variety of categories. The cast of “Teen Drama Takes a Hike” won the state Interpreters’ Theatre title (Daniel Jernigan, Lukas McCrary, Hunter Eaton, Jackson Fox, Zoe Stout, Merritt Cagle, Haleigh Hankins, Lauren Feathers, and Anna Mader), while Aaron Johnson and Ben Blevins took the title for Duet Acting. Other top results were turned in by Kelli Frawley (3rd place, Costume Design), Grayson Marshall (3rd place, Prose Interpretation), Devin Hooven (4th place, Pantomime), McKenzie Miller (4th place, Humorous Interpretation), Astrid Rotenberry (4th place, Solo Acting), Anna Mader (4th place, Storytelling) and Maxine Poole and Zach Shafer (5^th place, Duet Acting).

One of the key foundational philosophies at D-B is that students are given a wide variety of opportunities and experiences (both inside and outside the classroom) in which to find excellence. How exciting to see that mindset embraced by a faculty that works hard to provide such varied experiences, and by a student body that excitedly steps forward to discover and cultivate the talents that lie within. The 2014 Dramahawks are a prime example of this philosophy. They should be applauded for their commitment to excellence and for displaying their talents both figuratively and literally on the local and statewide stage.

We are exceptional… We are KCS.

Johnson Elementary’s Free Little Libraries

We are Community…

Ask any teacher or librarian (or student, for that matter) for their top tips on how to become a better reader, and having access to high quality reading materials is sure to be high on the list. But what can be done to help make sure that this actually takes place, especially outside the walls of the school itself?

The students and staff at Johnson Elementary have taken this to heart and decided to take a proactive step to help make reading materials more available to those in their community by building “Free Little Libraries.” A little larger than a mailbox, these are constructed and placed in neighborhood areas so that children and families can have quick and 24/7 access to books when they can’t get to a school or public library. Community members can simply borrow the books from the Free Little Library and return them when they are finished reading. And as the name suggests, there is no charge to have access to these books… The entire program works on the honor system.

Principal Stacy Edwards, librarian Rebecca Thomasson, and the staff at Johnson continue to collect books to place in the Free Little Libraries, with the first being located in the Miller Village community. A second Free Little Library will be placed outside of Johnson Elementary, which will help serve the surrounding neighborhood when the school library is not accessible in the evenings or when school is not in session. This has truly been a community project, as students, families, and school staff have all worked to find materials and bring this venture to life.

It’s a concept that is quickly taking hold all across Kingsport. The Kingsport Public Library has one at the library and one on Bays Mountain. Lincoln Elementary expects to have five in place by this fall. Jackson Elementary should have two in their community by the end of the school year. With Johnson’s leadership, access to quality reading materials throughout our community is greater than ever.

What a great example of a group that looks beyond working to just provide what students need at school, and has their eye on supporting the entire surrounding community even when the school day is done. The new Free Little Libraries will support all children in the Johnson area, both young and old, by fostering a culture of literacy, trust, and shared purpose. Hats off to the children, staff, and families of Johnson Elementary for dreaming big, even with the product is “Little”!

We are community… We are KCS.

“We Are KCS” is ready to launch!

We have a story to tell…

Is this really the time of year to start something new?

To those of us in the education world, late spring is often seen as the time when students and teachers are beginning to build to the inevitable year-end conclusions… end-of-year exams, graduation, summer vacation. Honestly, the sights are often set more on the finish line than they are on beginning a new venture.

But for most, this time of year is a time of rebirth, renewal, and growth. Warming temperatures and blooming nature serve as an annual reminder that we should always move forward, always look to improve, and always seek ways to take advantage of new opportunities.

Today, we mark the launch of “We Are KCS.” Often lost in this current age of accountability, data, and sound-byte news, is the realization that Kingsport City Schools is made up of over 8,500 students and staff members with amazing stories to tell. Each and every day, the people of KCS are accomplishing great things as we strive to learn, grow, and become world class in all that we do.

In the coming weeks and months, We Are KCS will help paint the complete picture of Kingsport City Schools. This venture will go beyond the headlines and explore what is happening in our classrooms, schools, and community. In Kingsport, we are blessed to have so many positive stories to tell, and We Are KCS will help serve as the platform to share that message. I hope you will follow us at http://www.WeAreKCS.com.

I am excited to shine the spotlight on all that is great about our school system and to share the accomplishments of the students and KCS employees that have dedicated themselves to excellence in all they do. The examples are endless, and I hope you will be inspired by all the great KCS Stories that we have to tell.

We have a story to tell… We are KCS!

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