MLK News: October 3-7, 2022

Please have them reach out to Julie Jones at julievm@hotmail.com and make her aware. Thank you.

Niche, a site that combines ratings from students, parents, and alumni with quantitative data, just released its high school rankings for 2023. MLK came in at number 4! You can read more in the link below.

Tennessee's best public high schools 2023 | LIST (wkrn.com)

Monday - 7 period day

Tuesday - 7 period day

Wednesday - even period day

Thursday - odd period day

Friday - no school (teacher planning day)

All assignments for the first quarter are due this Thursday. There is no school on Friday. Students, finish strong!

There is no school on October 7 for a teacher planning day.

There is also no school the week of October 10-14 for Fall Break. Have a safe and enjoyable break!

Remember that counselors (like teachers and administrators) will not be available during Fall Break, This means that we won’t be scheduling appointments or responding to phone calls/emails. We’ll look forward to seeing you when we all return on Monday, October 17.

Seniors, Walter Ostrowski, Emmanuel Adetunji, Zachary Barnet, Ella Daugherty, Antony George have been recognized by the College Board for the exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the qualifying test used for program entry. Students were entered the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) last October. Congratulations to these students on this great achievement!

L to R: Emmanuel Adetunji, Walter Ostrowski, Ella Daugherty, Zachary Barnet, and Antony George

Meet Officer Rickie Corman. Her son, David Corman, is an MLK graduate. Officer Corman's first day will be Monday, October 3. We happy to have Officer Corman join the MLK team!

Tennessee State Senator, Jeff Yarbro and School Board member, Christiane Buggs came to discuss with juniors and seniors why it is important to exercise your right to vote. Officials were also on hand to help students get registered to vote. Thank you to Mr. Selbrade for organizing this event as well as to Mr. Fox for running the event.

We'd like to thank our very generous PTSA parents for stocking our teachers' lounges AND leaving goody bags in teacher mailboxes for Self-Care Month (September). THANK YOU, PTSA for taking care of our faculty and staff!

MLK's debate team attended their first debate tournament of the year this weekend at Hillsboro High School. The following novice debaters placed in the novice best speaker division:

7th place - Tigran Polborn

5th place - Alice DeHart

1st place - Ayna Sibtain

1st place overall novice division - Ayna Sibtain

Congratulations to our senior volleyball players!

Mr. Thomas Occhipinti from My Test Tips held an after school session on common test-taking mistakes and how to better manage your time on standardized tests.

MLK seniors assessed water quality in the Little Harpeth River last week. Students used chemical testing methods and conducted a biological inventory to determine the overall health of this aquatic ecosystem. Field experiences are an important component of the honors and advanced placement environmental science courses at MLK. Many thanks to the staff at Warner Park for supporting our environmental science program!

The MLK JV/Varsity Cheerleaders welcomed Coach Pope and the TSU Cheerleaders for our annual pre-season cheer camp. On the last night of camp, cheer parents attended a special showcase in the school cafeteria. We can't wait to raise the spirit during basketball season with some exciting new cheers and chants. Go Royals!

Our high school soccer squads held a team outing to support the undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores Women’s soccer team Thursday night! The game was also a celebration of 50 years of Title IX. We had a great turnout with well over 50 players and their families! We were even featured on the Vandy women’s soccer Instagram page for our boisterous support. Vandy beat UK 2-0 to keep their winning streak rolling.

Hold your phone's camera up to the QR code on the right. Then press on the link it provides. Again, the event takes place this Saturday, October 1.

The 2023 Nashville Youth Poet Laureate applications are now available. The Youth Poet Laureate program aims to identify young student writers who are committed to civic and community engagement, diversity and inclusion, and youth voice across Nashville. Students ages 13-19 who attend or attended high school in Nashville are eligible for consideration.

Applications are due Friday, October 21 11:59 PM CT. Applicants who advance will be invited to perform at a semifinal round on Thursday, November 17 at 4:00pm. The top three finalists will perform at the State of the Word in December, where one youth will be honored with the title of Nashville Youth Poet Laureate.

The Nashville Youth Poet Laureate is a joint program of the Office of the Mayor, Metro Human Relations Commission, Nashville Public Library, Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Southern Word in partnership with Urban Word, and supported by the PEN Center USA, the Academy of American Poets, and the Nashville Public Library Foundation.

A Note about grades: Parents are encouraged to monitor their students' grades using Schoology or Infinite Campus. Schoology is the best place to look for grades because it is updated more often, and it is the only place where you can see materials and assignments. Teachers will transfer grades from Schoology to Campus at least twice a week. Grades for each quarter are finalized officially in Infinite Campus at the end of the nine weeks. Infinite Campus rounds grades using a different number of decimal places, so you might notice a discrepancy of 0.01% between Campus and Schoology. The final grade in Infinite Campus is the OFFICIAL grade.

Make-up picture day is Friday, October 21. If any student was not here on the original picture day, they can take their picture on Friday, October 21. Anyone that was unhappy with their first picture is also welcome to retake their photo. Last names A-F will take pictures during 1st period. Last names G-L will take pictures during 2nd period. Last names M-R will take pictures during 3rd period. Last names S-Z will take pictures during 4th period. Questions? Email Mrs. Spencer – Caroline.Spencer@mnps.org

Ms. Agee would like to invite you to sign up for the American Mathematics Competition. It is a 75 minute math test that tests problem solving skills especially. It will be given on November 16th during the school day. It costs $5 to take and is due by November 1st. You can either pay Ms. Agee in Room 2108, or there is a school cash online group set up to take payments that you may use. I hope many of you take advantage of the opportunity to test yourself and your growing skills. Here is a link for you that includes some practice problems so you can see what the test is like. https://www.maa.org/sites/default/files/2017_AMC1012_Practice_Questions.pdf

Thanks to your generous support we have reached our $60,000 INVEST goal in donations & pledges!

Because of you, MLK students and teachers will have the resources and tools to be the best school in MNPS! 🎓

If you've been putting off giving, we still need your support to help fund additional projects and unexpected needs. Please make your gift TODAY at https://investmlk.evrits.com As encouragement, one lucky NEW donor (donations received after 9/20) will receive a $25 gift card to the MLK Spirit Store each week until Fall Break!

As a reminder, ALL donors to the INVEST campaign will receive an MLK sticker or magnet, and $200+ donors will receive an MLK WHITE OUT T-SHIRT while supplies last.👕 Merch will be available for pickup this Friday 9/23 at lunch! 👕
AND two lucky winners from all donations will continue to receive a $25 gift card to the MLK Spirit Store each week until Fall Break!

Please help us keep the momentum going! If you have already made your pledge or donation, THANK YOU! I am so grateful for every dollar we raise that supports this amazing school. 🍎

*Note: if you get a "Whoops! We could not find that Student" message, try entering the first and last name in all lowercase letters.

Be a LOYAL ROYAL and DONATE TODAY!

With gratitude,

Michele Harrell

Invest Co-Chair

Dear 8th – 11th Grade Students/Families,

On Tuesday, October 25th, the PSAT will be administered at MLK to every 8th-11th grade student. The PSAT is a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT and gives students access to college and career planning tools. Taking the PSAT as a junior allows students a chance to become National Merit Scholars, which often translates to scholarships at highly selective universities. MLK had 8 National Merit semi-finalists in the class of 2021, 5 semi-finalists in the class of 2022, and 7 semi-finalists in the class of 2023!

MNPS is using a new payment platform this school year (School Cash Online) and payment for the PSAT can be made online by clicking the grade-level specific links below. Please be sure to enter your child’s name in the box that asks “who are you purchasing this for?” If you haven’t already created an account, the system will direct you to register for an account or check-out as a guest. You will also be able to “select more items” and add additional payments for multiple children (if applicable).

11th Grade PSAT Purchase

10th Grade PSAT Purchase

9th Grade PSAT Purchase

8th Grade PSAT Purchase

For additional information on the PSAT, please visit the College Board’s Website:

https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt.

MLK requires each 8th-11th grade student to take the PSAT. All payments must be made by Friday, October 21st. If online payment is not an option for your family or you need financial assistance to pay for the PSAT, please reply to this email.

We want to ensure our students have every advantage available to them. Thanks for your immediate attention and support!

Order your 2022-2023 yearbook today! Yearbooks will be $75 until October 20. After October 20, the price goes up to $85. You can go to jostensyearbooks.com today to order your yearbook! Questions about the yearbook? Contact our yearbook teacher, Mrs. Spencer. Caroline.Spencer@Mnps.org

College Center Extended Hours

• Monday, Oct. 3 - Self-paced ACT Practice Using On-Line Platform (3:00 - 5:00 pm; College Center) - Join us for a quiet time and place to practice for taking the electronic version of the ACT. Choose which subtest(s) you want to work on and stay until 5:00 or just as long as you wish.
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• Wednesday, Oct. 5 - College Center Extended Hours (3:00 - 5:00 pm) - Stay the entire time to work on anything college-related or stay only as long as you wish.

College Visitors This Week

Monday, Oct. 3

• University of Southern California (USC) - small-group interest sessions held during "A" or "C" lunch in the College Center
• University of Memphis - interest table during all lunches outside the Internet Cafe

Wednesday, Oct. 5

• Columbia University (New York City) - small-group interest sessions held during "A" or "C" lunch in the College Center

Thursday, Oct. 6

• Amherst College (selective, small, private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts) - small-group interest sessions held during "A" or "C" lunch in the College Center

Welcome to week 8 of the 2022-2023 ACT Corner!

This week’s practice passage comes from the Math section of the ACT. Math_passage_8_Sept_28_2022.pdf

Correct answers to last week’s English passage are also included. answers_English_8_Sept_22_2022.pdf

Last week’s ACT Corner included a duplicate of the Science passage 7 instead of the answers – those answers can be found here: answers_Science_passage_7_Sept_15_2022.pdf

For high school students it occurs Monday-Thursday from 3:15 - 4:15 p.m. in room 2206.

For middle school the schedule is from 3:15-4:15, Monday-Thursday.

• 8th Grade - Monday (Poston)and Tuesday (Boleyjack),
• 7th Grade - Wednesday (Taylor) and Thursday (Ellis).

More information

• High School - Contact Ms. Agee, Teresa.Agee@mnps.org
• Middle School - Contact Mrs. Taylor, Carlene.Taylor@mnps.org

MLK Spirit Store

2022-2023

Our MLK Spirit Store will OPEN Monday, August 15

Operating Guidelines

The details for shopping MLK apparel online, payment options, and

picking up your order are below. Click on the link below to order.

MemberHub

Apparel:

• New apparel will be added to the website on a regular basis. We will also

be restocking popular items; however, not all items will be restocked so

please do not delay in purchasing your items. If you do not see your size or

the color you want, please continue to check the website for updates.

• You will NOT have the opportunity to try on apparel prior to purchasing.

• NO RETURNS will be allowed on any purchased items. Most of our spirit

wear is printed on Gildan apparel (100% cotton) and fits true to size. Please

pay careful attention to the size that you choose prior to placing your

online order.

Online Payment Options:

• All major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX) are accepted. You will also

be charged a nominal credit card processing fee (based on your subtotal)

for all online purchases.

Picking Up Your Order:

• Parents/students will be able to pick up online orders in the front office.

MLK parent volunteers will be processing orders for pick up on Wednesdays

and Fridays of every week. You will be required to sign for your paid online

order upon pick up. There are no alternative payment options at pick up.

Use the Homework Hotline! Call 615.298.6636.
Teachers are available to answer questions Mondays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is a free service to students in TN.

988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and is now active across the United States.

When you call, text, or chat 988, you will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting you, provide support, and connect you to resources if necessary.

The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.

The Lifeline’s network of over 200 crisis centers has been in operation since 2005, and has been proven to be effective. It’s the counselors at these local crisis centers who answer the contacts the Lifeline receives every day. Numerous studies have shown that callers feel less suicidal, less depressed, less overwhelmed and more hopeful after speaking with a Lifeline counselor.

Answer the call! These centers are looking to bring on new volunteers and paid employees. You will receive training, so if you are a caring person who wants to help those in crisis, apply today. Find your opportunity: samhsa.gov/988-jobs

• For ways to support your local Lifeline network crisis center, visit our Crisis Centers page here.
• To learn about the impact of the Lifeline, visit our new By the Numbers page.
• To learn about what happens when you call, text, or chat with the Lifeline, click here.
• To learn more about the history of 988, visit here.
• To learn how Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit administrator of the Lifeline, has been supporting states’ implementation planning for 988 through grants, check here.

If you’re a Veteran, Service Member or loved one and want to know more about how 988 will affect the Veterans Crisis Line, click here.

Email: angela.mcshepard-ray@mnps.org
Website: mlk.mnps.org
Location: 613 17th Avenue North, Nashville, TN, USA
Phone: 615-329-8400
Twitter: @MLKRoyals