It's important for students to have a physical before coming back to school. It can help prevent the health problems that may impact learning. That's why United Neighborhood Health Services is offering Back to School check-ups to get ready for that first day!



Students will also be given all of the shots they need to come back to school. Incoming kindergarteners, pre-kindergarteners and 7th graders are required to have updated immunizations certificates and will not be allowed to attend without them.



UNHC is offering immunizations and physicals at its three clinics now through the first day. TennCare and private insurance plans are accepted. Uninsured patients are also welcome, with fees based on a sliding scale. Call ahead to make appointments for physicals.

United Neighborhood Health Services Clinics

615-620-UNHS (8647)

www.unitedneighborhood.org



Dickerson Road Clinic, 1223 Dickerson Road, Nashville 37207

Main Street Clinic, 905 Main Street, Nashville 37206

Southside Family Clinic, 1101 Charles Davis Boulevard, Nashville 37210

1. Encouraging your Child For Success
   September 26 - Cane Ridge High School
   September 29 - Glencliff High School
   Time: 6:00 P.M.
   
   Do you want to motivate your children to get good grades but don’t know how? Do you want to improve your relationship with your teens? Come and learn about self-esteem and how to motivate your teens to be successful! All Latino parents with children in middle and high school are welcome to this workshop. Childcare for children 3 years old and up will be offered, as well as refreshments and a raffle.
   
   


2. Communicating with your Child´s School
   October 3 - Cane Ridge High School
   October 6 - Glencliff High School
   Time: 6:00 P.M.
   
   Did your child’s teacher request a parent-teacher conference and you don’t know what to do? Is your child having problems at school and you’re not sure whom to speak with? Come and learn with us! All Latino parents with children in middle and high school are welcome to this workshop in Spanish. Childcare for children 3 years old and up will be offered, as well as refreshments and a raffle.
   
   


3. Drug and Gang Involvement Prevention
   October 10 - Cane Ridge High School
   October 13 - Glencliff High School
   Time: 6:00 P.M.
   
   Do you argue with your teen a lot? Do you want to prevent your teen from getting involved in drugs and gangs? Come and learn with us! All Latino parents with children in middle and high school are welcome to this workshop in Spanish. Childcare for children 3 years old and up will be offered, as well as refreshments and a raffle.
   
   


4. Parental Rights and Responsibilities at School
   October 24 - Cane Ridge High School
   October 27 - Glencliff High School
   Time: 6:00 P.M.
   
   Do you want to learn about your rights as a MNPS parent? Have you heard about new charter schools opening in your neighborhood and want to learn more? Come and learn with us! All Latino parents with children in middle and high school are welcome to this workshop in Spanish. Childcare for children 3 years old and up will be offered, as well as refreshments and a raffle.
   
   


5. College Preparation/Financial Aid
   October 31 - Cane Ridge High School
   November 3 - Glencliff High School
   Time: 6:00 P.M.
   
   Do you want your child to go to college? Do you want to learn about financial aid for college, for documented & undocumented students? Come and learn with us! All Latino parents with children in middle and high school are welcome to this workshop in Spanish. Childcare for children 3 years old and up will be offered, as well as refreshments and a raffle.

Join us on Friday, September 16, as we make a big announcement. We'll introduce you to Music Makes Us, a new collaborative effort from Mayor Karl Dean, Metro Schools, the Music City Music Council and the Nashville Public Education Foundation. Music Makes Us is an innovative approach to music education developed over the last two years.

We'll be joined by a special guest for the announcement at 9:00 a.m.
You can follow along on the live-blog starting at 8:45 a.m. and get all of the details on this exciting new project.

To honor and remember 9/11, Mayor Karl Dean's Impact Nashville is organizing volunteer projects and special events for Nashville's Fire Fighters Appreciation Day, celebrated on Saturday, September 10.

One of these is the "Cards of Bravery" project, which encourages youth to write cards for police officers and fire fighters in Nashville. In these cards, young people can outline what bravery means to them and thank the brave men and women who serve our community.

Teachers & Parents: We ask you to encourage your children and your students to write their own "Cards of Bravery." This is a terrific opportunity for them to be involved in the Nashville's and the nation's efforts to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Our police officers and fire fighters will surely appreciate their kind words and support.

If you would like to participate, please bring your "Cards of Bravery" to any of the following locations by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 9.

Mayor's Office
100 Metro Courthouse, 37201

Parks Department
511 Oman Street, 37203

Metro Schools Central Office
2601 Bransford Avenue, 37204

Firefighters Appreciation Day

9/11 National Day of Service

Impact Nashville

You joined him in walking 100 miles over the spring and summer. Now Mayor Karl Dean has a new Challenge for Nashvillians: join him in running or walking a 5K in November!

And because every distance run requires training, the Challenge will host a nine-week series of training sessions at Metro parks all over town - starting this Saturday (September 10) at McCabe Park Commnity Center.

Full details on the Challenge are in the flier and links below.
 

Cameron Middle School will host two English courses for adults this fall. One course is for basic learners, another for intermediate.

Seating is limited and priority will be given to Cameron families. Full information is available in the fliers below. Register today!

The Virtual School is open and looking for students! Metro Schools’ newest and most high-tech learning experience has 135 open spots for full-time students and several more left for part-timers, as well.

At Virtual School students can take courses online in to receive a quality education in a virtual environment. Students will be taught online by highly qualified, certified teachers.



Full-time students can earn their diplomas by earning up to six credits per year. They must apply and meet the qualifying criteria.

Part-time students can choose from dozens of courses offered at Virtual School. These courses may not be offered at every school, but are available to every student online. These include courses in all core subjects, Health & Wellness, and AP courses like English, English Lit, Biology, Marcoeconomics, Psychology, US History & Statistics.

Students interested in part-time work through Virtual School should contact their School Counselors. Much more information is available on the Virtual School website, www.vlearn.mnps.org.

Time is of the essence. If you want to take advantage of this great opportunity, don’t delay! A whole world of classes is available to every high school student online. Sign up! Take part!

The LP Pencil Box has another great chance for you to help bring school supplies to the students and classrooms who need them. This time it comes with the chance to buy beautiful artisan jewelry, gifts, and home decor from around the world.

Ten Thousand Villages will be donating a portion of its sales to the LP Pencil Box this Sunday, August 21 from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Ten Thousand Villages is a non-profit, fair trade store in Green Hills that supports artisans across the globe. Their products help these artisans attain a fair wage to pay for for food, education, healthcare and housing.



The LP Pencil Box is a free school supply store for educators in Nashville. Teachers can shop at the Pencil Box and bring supplies back to their classrooms. They rely on donations of supplies and cash to keep their operations going.



Head over to Green Hills this Sunday to support our teachers and students!

World-renowned musician Janis Ian has a passion for reading, libraries and education. So her inspiring address at a recent inservice for Metro Schools Librarian comes straight from the heart.

Ms. Ian joined the librarians for lunch at JT Moore Middle School on August 9th. She then closed their full-day session with a speech on the power of books in her life and an uplifting message for librarians everywhere as the new school year begins. As thanks, the crowd gave her a standing ovation.

Please take a few moments to read the transcript of her speech. It carries a powerful message about how reading - and the people who help facilitate it - can change lives. Truly worth reading.

When prehistoric man made his first symbols, and connected those symbols with true language, he began a chain of events that would enlighten and ennoble the world. The written word informs us. It challenges us. It drags us to the depths and lifts us to the heavens, in one graceful arc that can only be appreciated by those who can read. Libraries are a hallmark of a civilized culture, and librarians represent that culture to all facets of society. We artists have a great affinity with you librarians, for many reasons, not the least of which is that we exist in large part to educate, and to protect. To make order out of chaos, and to teach others to do the same. To keep the dreams of a nation, of a people, safe for future generations. To make those dreams available to everyone – not just the wealthy or beautiful, not just the people of one race or one color or one religion – but available to everyone who dares to dream of something bigger than themselves.

FULL SPEECH

The Board meeting starts at 5:00 p.m. The live-blog opens at 4:45 p.m.

Full Meeting Agenda

New to Nashville? Enrolling in Metro Schools for the first time? We can help you register!

New Student Registration Week runs from Monday, August 1 to Friday, August 5. Student registration must be completed at your assigned school. We recommend contacting your school before you register.

What do you need to bring with you to register?

• Birth Certificate or acceptable proof of age;


• Immunization (vaccination record) on a Tennessee Certificate of Immunization Form;


• Physical examination (within one (1) year of the beginning of school)


• Proof of residency (current utility bill, lease, etc.)


• Social Security Card (optional)


• Recent Report Card (optional)

The immunization information is particularly important. Full information on immunizations and the immunization certificate is available here.

The first day of school is Thursday, August 11. We have a lot more answers to your Back to School questions in our Back to School Guide for 2011-12.

See you on August 11!

Don't lose your green thumb this summer. Come help Glencliff High School manage its extensive garden project with a few hours of volunteer time. You could end up going home with an armload of fresh vegetables in return!

The Glencliff Garden project teaches students (and adults) to cultivate fresh produce and how to keep a more healthy diet. But they need help to keep it going throughout the summer break. That's why they're asking you to join one of the "Adopt-a-Volunteer Days" offered all summer long!

Sign up to be a volunteer leader for the day of your choice, bring together a group of your friends for an afternoon of garden volunteer work, and you can take home some of the very produce you work wtih!

June 5th-August 28th
Sunday Evenings
5:00-8:00 p.m.

June 2nd-August 4th
Thursday Mornings
7:00-10:00 a.m.

Have you walked your 100 miles? Even if you haven't, you can join Mayor Karl Dean and hundreds of others on the final walk of the Mayor's fitness series - an 8-mile trek starting at Wave Country.

That same evening, walkers will gather for a celebration and free concert by JoDee Messina and Melinda Doolittle. There will be a kids' zone, face painting, sports, and healthy food. And it's completely free!

MTA will even offer free bus transportation to the celebration for all MNPS families. Just mention "Walk 100 Miles" to your bus driver!

"Walk 100 Miles with the Mayor" Finale Walk
8 miles
8:00 a.m., Wave Country

"Walk 100 Miles with the Mayor" Finale Celebration & Concert
5:00 p.m., Public Square Park

Starting in January and continuing throughout the spring, the MNPS Community Career Center will offer a variety of free computer classes for MNPS parents. The classes range from basic Internet training and safety to advanced lessons in Microsoft Office programs (Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.). The classes are taught at six locations: John Henry Hale Community Center, 1433 Jo Johnston Avenue (on the corner of 16th Ave North); Sam Levy Community Center, 302 Foster Street; Preston Taylor Community Center, 3900 Clifton Ave.; Vine Hill Community Center, 601 Benton Avenue; Antioch Middle School and Park Ave Elementary School. For a complete schedule of classes, click here. Also, the United Way offers volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) program that is free to any family that earns less than 49,000 annually. This service is offered at the John Henry Hale Community Center and Sam Levy Community Center. The entire staff is IRS certified. To make an appointment and learn what documents to bring, call 298-6752.

Metro Nashville Public Schools is excited to announce its 2009-10 online annual report, www.annualreport.mnps.org. The purpose of this report is to give employees, students, staff, and community members a comprehensive look inside the school district. It is our hope that the 2009-10 MNPS Online Annual Reportwill give the entire Nashville community an in-depth look at where the district has been and where we are headed. The goal was to create a site with a wealth of information that individuals can browse at their own pace and in a format that utilizes visual, auditory and interactive elements. We also wanted to offer this report to a much larger audience. In years past, the district has been limited by printing costs. This site was created in-house and at no additional cost to the district. Individuals can view it at home, work, in any of Metro Nashville’s public libraries, and in our schools.

www.ONENashville.org Scroll down for a full release. <a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0421432e99">ONE Nashville</a> The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, the Mayor’s Office, PENCIL Foundation, the Nashville Alliance for Public Education, Stand for Children and Alignment Nashville, has launched ONE NASHVILLE, a new initiative to bolster support for Nashville’s public schools. “The Nashville Chamber initiated this effort because we understand that the success of our public schools affects us all,” said Ralph Schulz, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. “For Nashville to continue to be a great city for families and businesses, we all must take responsibility for making sure we have great public schools.” ONE NASHVILLE encourages all Nashvillians to get involved in Metro Schools by donating, advocating or volunteering. The initiative’s website, www.onenashville.org, allows visitors to explore the different options and decide which is best for them. Once decided, the website directs visitors to the corresponding organizations. To volunteer, visitors to the ONE NASHVILLE website are directed to the PENCIL Foundation’s volunteer portal, www.schoolvolunteers.org, or the Nashville Alignment or Academies of Nashville websites. Visitors interested in making a donation are directed to the Nashville Alliance for Public Education for monetary donations and to the LP PENCIL Box for donations of school supplies. To advocate, visitors are directed to Friends of Metro Schools. The ONE NASHVILLE website also has a page with parent resources that connects parents to MNPS parent programs. “The launch of ONE NASHVILLE is a big step toward making our public schools even better,” said Mayor Karl Dean. “Nashvillians now have one resource to learn about the many great education-based nonprofits in town and can figure out what kind of involvement is right for them. It has never been easier to support our public schools.” The ONE NASHVILLE website also includes a Spanish page and a “Community Spotlight” page showcasing the variety of ways people can get involved through success stories from volunteers, donors and advocates. The spotlights illustrate how every contribution, both large and small, can impact a child’s life. “There are a lot of great things happening in Metro Schools, and community support makes all the difference in maintaining that positive momentum,” said Dr. Jesse Register, MNPS director of schools. “ONE NASHVILLE is about inspiring all Nashvillians to take action and be a part of improving our city and our schools.”

With three months still left in the school year, Homework Hotline has already helped thousands of students work through their assignments and return to school confident in their ability to excel. So far for 2010-2011, Homework Hotline teacher-volunteers have fielded 8,619 calls! Despite the huge volume of calls, each student receives an average of 24 minutes of one-on-one homework help and tutoring in each phone call. That time pays off, too, as volunteers report that 92% of students who call hang up with the correct answer and a better understanding of the concept behind it.More than one-third of the calls received have been from children who speak another language than English. Thankfully, Homework Hotline offers immediate help in seven different languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Kurdish, Swahili, Creole, and Turkmani. This year, bilingual volunteers have helped: 1,422 children speaking Arabic 519 children speaking Kurdish or Turkmani 480 children speaking Spanish 8 children speaking Creole 535 children speaking a variety of other languages The amazing people behind Homework Hotline work four days a week, four hours each night. And thanks to a generous assembly of sponsors and a dedicated Board of Directors, it's offered free of charge to all Nashville families.If your child needs help with his or her homework or needs a little extra push after school to master a classroom concept, remember that Homework Hotline and its teacher-volunteers are there and eager to help. Homework Hotline298-6636Monday - Thursday4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.August - May

Tennessee has made it to the top in the unprecedented federal push for education reform. The first round winners of the Race to the Top program were announced Monday, March 29, by the U.S. Department of Education. Over the course of the next four years, Tennessee will receive 500 million to implement a comprehensive school reform plan. Delaware was also named a grant winner, receiving 100 million. Click here for more.