Cheatham Achieves

All Cheatham County schools and the Central Office will be closed on Monday, September 2 for Labor Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, September 3. We hope you have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

We are excited to announce that we recently received a $100,000 Local Food for School Cooperative Grant from the Tennessee Department of Education! The grant allows our School Nutrition Department to purchase local meat for our school meal program. Much of our beef and pork that will be served this year is being purchased from Tennessee Grass Fed. We are thankful for this opportunity to strengthen the tie between local farmers and our schools, giving students access to nutritious foods unique to the area they live in.

You might have noticed a few construction projects on some of our school campuses. We are building four concession stands/restrooms at the Harpeth Middle School/Harpeth High School soccer field (which is located behind Kingston Springs Elementary School), the Harpeth Middle School softball field, the Cheatham Middle School football field (pictured above) and the Cheatham Middle School soccer field. We are excited about this project and looking forward to these additions at our sports complexes!

The 12-week Strengthening Families program will begin in September at Faith Community Church in Ashland City. The program is open to parents and youth ages 9-16. The sessions will be held on Mondays from 5-7 p.m. from September 9 to December 2. Families share a meal together and then break into groups to learn specific skills such as conflict resolution; how to discuss difficult topics such as drugs, peer pressure, etc.; and how to develop speaking and listening skills. At the end of the program, a printed copy of the family mission statement is presented to each family during a closing graduation ceremony. Strengthening Families is an evidence-based program recognized by the Tennessee court system and Department of Children Services. Check out the graphic for additional information and how to enroll in the program.

We are excited to offer the Cheatham Achievers after-school program again this year. Cheatham Achievers is funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant. This program serves students in grades 5-8 at Cheatham Middle School, Harpeth Middle School and Sycamore Middle School. This year’s program begins Monday, September 16 and will run for 120 days. It will be held from 2:45-5:45 p.m. each school day Monday-Thursday. Weeks that have a holiday and we are closed a day during the week, we will open on those Fridays. All programs associated with the grant are offered free of charge. For more information about the program and to register your child for the program, please click here. Registration forms are also available at each middle school.

National IT Professionals Day is Tuesday, September 17. We want to thank Technology Supervisor Chad Smith and our entire Information Technology team – Nathanael Raymer, Jon Moss, Dustin Bowker and Joe Penzo! Often working behind the scenes, our IT team members are the unsung heroes of the digital age, ensuring our computers, networks, and systems are secure, efficient, and functioning properly. They are much appreciated and essential to the success of our district!

Our first early dismissal day of the 2024-2025 school year is Friday, September 20. Schools will dismiss at 11:45 a.m. Lunch will be served for students on this day. Teachers will participate in professional development in the afternoon. This year, we are excited to welcome two nationally renowned speakers for our professional development session. Gerry Brooks will speak to our elementary school teachers at 1:15 p.m. in the East Cheatham Elementary School gymnasium. He is a former teacher and school administrator who turned his experiences into a successful career as a speaker, author and internet personality. Damon West will speak to our middle and high school teachers at 1 p.m. in the Harpeth High School theatre. He is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker and a three-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Our high schools have announced their football Homecoming schedules:

• Cheatham County Central High School’s Homecoming game is Friday, September 27 at 7 p.m. when the Cubs host Jo Byrns. Due to new bleachers being installed at CCCHS, the game will be played at Sycamore High School. The Homecoming parade is Friday, September 27 at 4:15 p.m.

• Harpeth High School’s Homecoming game is Friday, September 27 at 7 p.m. when the Indians host Summertown. The Homecoming parade is Friday, September 27 at 4 p.m.

• Sycamore High School’s Homecoming game is Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m. when the War Eagles take on Fairview. The Homecoming parade is Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m.

Our 2024-2025 Parent and Student Handbook is now available. The handbook is a guide to our district’s practices, guidelines, and procedures. The handbook is available on our website by clicking here. If you are not able to view the handbook via this newsletter, printed copies will be available upon request at your child’s school. Each family must read through the handbook before signing, dating, and returning the acknowledgment form to their child’s school. The acknowledgment form is the last page in the handbook. Please sign one form for each student in your household. If you have any questions regarding the handbook, please contact your child’s school.

We are proud to announce the selections for the fourth class of the Cheatham County Education Hall of Fame. Twelve individuals who made their mark in the district will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during a special ceremony on Thursday, October 24 at 6 p.m. at the Cheatham County Central High School theatre. The public is invited to attend. The district created the Hall of Fame in 2021 to honor individuals who have demonstrated measurable influence and made significant contributions to the growth and development of education in Cheatham County. Meet the Class of 2023 by clicking here.

We graciously thank the Kiwanis Club of Cheatham County for creating a new Storybook Trail at the John C. “Preacher” Poole Recreation Area (walking track) in Ashland City. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on August 10. The trail was made possible through many generous supporters and assistance by the Town of Ashland City. The first book featured is Dolly Parton’s “I Am a Rainbow.” We invite our students and families to visit the trail. A new book will be showcased quarterly on the track/trail. Pictured are the Kiwanis Club members who were present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

In addition to the Cheatham County School District Facebook page, we encourage our families, students, employees, and community stakeholders to like and follow these Facebook pages as well for additional news and information regarding our district:

CCBOE CTE STEAM
Cheatham County Schools Nutrition Program
JAG-Tennessee Cheatham County
Cheatham Co Schools Transportation Department
Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officers

The Cheatham County Community Enhancement Coalition and Harpeth Middle School are teaming up to host a Cyber/Tech Night on Tuesday, September 24 at 6 p.m. at Harpeth Middle School. All southern cluster families are invited to attend. A spaghetti dinner will be served. Please check out the graphic for additional information about this opportunity.

We are always looking for substitute teachers! For the past few years, we have partnered with ESS, and they are responsible for recruiting, scheduling, hiring, placing, and managing all substitute teachers in the district. This year, the company is excited to announce that it has increased daily rates for both non-certified and certified substitutes so start your application today. For questions, contact Carly Moore at cmoore@ess.com, follow ESS on its Facebook page at "ESS Cheatham County, TN" or visit www.ESS.com.

Individual student TCAP reports are now available for families to view on the Tennessee Department of Education's TCAP Family Portal. To access the portal, users will need the student's unique student ID (USID) to log in. A student's USID is available in Skyward under Student Information, labeled TN#. Using the USID, new users may create an account and returning users may log in to their existing accounts. To access the TCAP Family Portal, click here.

The Tennessee Department of Education has launched a toolkit for families to support your child’s literacy development at home. Supporting your child’s reading and writing at home is important for your child’s academic success. This support is not only about helping your child with schoolwork. Instead, literacy support helps your child become better at speaking and thinking as well as becoming a better reader and writer. To access this free resource, please click here.

Email: info@ccstn.org
Website: cheathamcountyschools.net
Location: 102 Elizabeth Street, Ashland City, TN, USA
Phone: 615-792-5664
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccboe1/
Twitter: @CCBOE

Instagram: ccsdtn