As we prepare for Fall Break, I wanted to share some exciting news and a quick reminder. First, take a look at the stunning 6th-grade 3D line landscapes from Riverdale in the title image! Their impressive work has me eager to travel—will your family be traveling over Fall Break?

A big congratulations to the Houston Band for being named Grand Champions! It’s great to see them collecting hardware this year. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Falcon Fest and Stang Fest, two fall favorites packed with fun and entertainment. I also encourage you to read through the sports report this week--as we have several athletes who are state championship bound!

Also, a special thanks to the Leadership Germantown Class of 2025 for visiting Houston High School. We appreciate their interest in creating an outdoor space for our students and staff.

Have a restful Fall Break, and let’s continue making "GMSD: A World of Our Own!"

Jason Manuel,

Superintendent

The Germantown Board of Education needs your feedback as it plans its TISA funding for the upcoming school year. Make sure to take the survey before you leave for the break. Here’s a breakdown of who’s already shared their thoughts on our funding plans:

• Teachers: 34.4%
• Parents: 32%
• Community members: 12%
• Parents of students with special needs: 7.2%
• Students: 4%
• Other participants: 10.4%

Your perspective matters! Whether you're a parent, teacher, student, or community member, we want to hear from you. Join the conversation and help shape our future! Your feedback is crucial as we shape our district’s Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) funding plan. Review our proposed strategies and share your thoughts to help ensure we’re meeting the needs of our students. Check out the full GMSD TISA Accountability Report Draft for the 24-25 school year and provide your feedback today!

Forest Hill Elementary's third graders recently brought The Wild Robot to life with an exciting STEM challenge. After reading the story, students designed island mazes and programmed KaiBot robots to navigate through them, mirroring the adventures of the book's main character, Roz. Meanwhile, the fourth graders took their studies to the movies over the weekend--as Malco Theaters at Forest Hill was a meetup spot for fox families for the big movie premiere.

In keeping with Forest Hill traditions, students cheered on during their annual lake race, where Principal Zac Percoski claimed victory in his final race before passing the baton to incoming Principal Kendra Pickens. The weekend festivities continued with the PTO-sponsored Foxtail Fling.

Dogwood Elementary students have had an eventful week! Fifth graders celebrated their Fish in a Tree unit by embracing their unique learning styles. From spelling in shaving cream to dressing up as figurative language, students enjoyed creative activities led by Mrs. Guynes and Ms. Fredrick. They even illustrated a collaborative mural, symbolizing the power of individual contributions.

Meanwhile, third graders took a deep dive into Virtual Reality, exploring sharks and undersea landscapes to enhance their nonfiction reading. The immersive VR experience brought their Shark Attack readings to life, making learning both fun and memorable!

In September 2024, Farmington Elementary hosted the heartwarming Games with Grandparents event, bringing students and their grandparents together for an unforgettable evening of fun and connection. Families bonded over Bingo, card games, corn-hole, and life-size Jenga, with laughter filling the cafeteria and outdoor spaces. This joyful night created cherished memories for all who attended. A huge thank you to everyone who participated in making this event so special. We can’t wait for more memory-making moments in the future!

Ahoy, mateys! Haunted Houston has officially become a fall fixture in Germantown, and this year's pirate-themed event had everyone ready to walk the plank for a frightfully fun time. Celebrating its 12th year, the school and PTO put on an unforgettable event, raising a treasure chest full of doubloons for HMS.

The festivities featured everything from carnival games to scare stations, where brave students took on the task of scaring landlubbers in the season’s spookiest haunted house. One real star of the show was the massive pirate ship, which passersby would have surely noticed!

One of the day’s most popular attractions was the dunk tank, where local GMSD celebrities made a splash! Our very own school board member Angela Griffith and pop sensation (and HMS alum) Walker Campbell both took a turn in the tank. Campbell even wowed the crowd with a special performance before taking the plunge! The school also added a new twist this year—a pirate-themed dance on Friday night that had everyone shuffling their peg legs and dancing the night away.

PTO President Juliann DeMatteo summed it up perfectly: “Haunted Houston was another great success! Although we had heat, we didn’t battle wind, we had a great turnout and a special performance from a local celebrity, newly added sports team participation in our haunted maze, and another fun pre-HH dance. We’ll be counting all our ‘booty’ this week and hope to announce financial success ASAP! Thanks to all those who helped make this event a success!”

The Art of Rescue at Riverdale K-8 School -- October 22

Riverdale Literacy Night, "The Art of Rescue," celebrates creativity and literacy with an evening of read-aloud sessions, storytelling, a scavenger hunt, a book fair, and more. The event on October 22 will also feature a school-wide art show highlighting rescue animals and a donation drive for local shelters.

Falcon Fest at Farmington Elementary – October 27

Join us for Falcon Fest on Sunday, October 27 at Farmington Elementary. Enjoy carnival games, bounce houses, and food trucks. The event also features the ever-popular Teacher Features auction, where parents can bid on fun experiences with their child’s favorite teachers, along with silent auction baskets and shopping with local vendors. A night of fun and community spirit awaits!

StangFest at Houston High School – November 3 (link coming soon!!)

Mark your calendars for StangFest on Sunday, November 3 at Houston High School. This carnival will include bounce houses and student-led games, especially for our future Mustangs. Proceeds will support Houston High student Gates Mims and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, so your participation helps make a difference.

BONUS: The BIGGEST Game of the Season – Houston vs. Collierville

Don’t miss the highly anticipated showdown between Houston and Collierville on Friday, November 1! In the ultimate Classy vs. Crazies matchup, join us as our towns' two mayors kick off a new, friendly competition, dubbed the Mayor’s Cup. There will be plenty of surprises at the game, so come out and be part of the excitement!

In this spotlight, enjoy listening to the choirs of Houston High, Bartlett High, Collierville High, and Arlington High come together for a performance of "In Meeting We Are Blessed" by Troy Robertson. This collaboration highlights the unity and talent of our young vocalists in this combined choir.

We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt appreciation for the incredible custodians across GMSD. Your hard work, dedication, and attention to detail keep our schools safe, clean, and welcoming for all students and staff. From classrooms to hallways, gyms to cafeterias, you make a difference every single day.

Last week, each of our schools celebrated National School Custodian Day, recognizing the essential role you play in creating a positive learning environment. Thank you for everything you do—we are so grateful to have you on our team!

October is National School Principals Month, and we’re excited to celebrate the leaders who make our schools exceptional places to learn and grow. Being a principal is no small task. It’s a challenging job that requires balancing administrative duties, supporting teachers, fostering student success, and maintaining a welcoming school culture. Principals wear many hats and play a critical role in ensuring our schools run smoothly and that every student is set up for success.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate each of our fantastic GMSD principals and some fun facts about them!

• Jessica Woody, Dogwood Elementary: Hidden talent? Karaoke! She’s also run several marathons and once appeared on a game show!
• Hallie Ross, Houston High: A talented calligrapher, she speaks Spanish and loves Earth, Wind, and Fire thanks to her dad.
• ShaMira Davis, Houston Middle: She’s been singing since age five and once competed in the Junior Olympics!
• Zac Percoski, Forest Hill Elementary: A former aspiring chef and a skilled mechanic who works on his own cars.
• Kendra Pickens, New Principal at Forest Hill Elementary: She can tie a perfect Windsor knot and is a big fan of Marvel movies.
• Joseph Bond, Riverdale K-8: A class-act comedian who started college as a meteorology major!
• Ashley Brasfield, Farmington Elementary: Known for her expert cleaning skills, she enjoys putting together puzzles.
• Heather Fisher, GOAL (Online): She once competed in a lip-syncing contest and is great at finding the priciest item in any store!

We are so grateful for all that our principals do each day. Make sure to join us in celebrating their hard work throughout October! For more fun facts about each principal, check out the full report. Happy National School Principals Month!

Send a shoutout to your favorite GMSD staffers with four ready-made templates: The MVP, You Are Appreciated, Top Notch Customer Service, and Someone Wants to Celebrate You! Simply select the staff member you want to recognize, type your positive feedback in the text box, and be specific about what they did that impressed you or made a difference. Choose to leave your name or remain anonymous. Once your Gratitude Gram is approved, the recipient receives an email with your message and an attached, easily printable graphic they can proudly display. Take a moment to spread some appreciation today!

The Houston Band had an outstanding performance at the Northeast Mississippi Regional Marching Championship held at Northeast Mississippi Community College, earning top honors across multiple categories.

The band took first place in several key captions, including:

• Music General Effect
• Music Performance, Ensemble
• Music Performance, Individual
• Visual Performance, Content

In addition to these achievements, the Houston Mustangs won the Large Band Sweepstakes Award for the best overall average across all captions in the large school category. The band also secured the prestigious title of Northeast Regional Marching Band Grand Champion, placing first overall out of 17 bands.

Last week, the Houston High School Choir participated in their third choral exchange alongside Arlington, Bartlett, and Collierville schools. This event, a non-competitive field trip, offered a unique opportunity for students to perform and learn from one another. Each choir presented a song, showcasing their talents and styles.

A highlight of the exchange was the involvement of Dr. Matt Taylor from Lipscomb University, who conducted a masterclass for the participating choirs. This session provided feedback and insights, enhancing the learning experience. Students had the chance to hear what their peers from other schools sounded like, building community amongst the young musicians.

"That's what I love about choral music and about fine arts in general. It's all about coming together and sharing the experience with others," said Houston High Choir Director Kinsey Healy. "This exchange allows our students to not only perform but to also appreciate the hard work and talents of their peers from neighboring schools."

Last Friday, Houston High juniors and seniors displayed their incredible works at the “Look, Mom!” pop-up art exhibit at Saddle Creek. The event, curated by alumna Anna House, featured over 75 pieces of art across various mediums and was well attended by parents, community members, and teachers.

Student artists included Addie Smith, Ella Brown, Maddie Christopher, Zoë Trommel, Kate Bauch, Sophie Crider, Siya Patel, Naomi Colon, Renee Wang, Izzy Phillips, Louis Frankel, Maddey Hester, Angelee Akin, Norie Hamner, Riley Schmitt, James Overstreet, Fatima Hernandez, Avery Hines, Isabella Cox, Adassa Colon, Olivia Weems, Claire Yang, Priya Khatri, Lauryn Bonds, Lucy Eleanor Smith, Mackenzie Neely, Finn Calhoun, and Pari Khatri. For more about the force behind the show, click here.

It is time to celebrate our seniors! This past week both varsity girls soccer and varsity volleyball celebrated their seniors. For varsity girls soccer, their seniors have had an incredible final season, remaining undefeated with two shutout victories over Kingsbury and Collierville last week. Up next, they are preparing for postseason play. For varsity volleyball, they also celebrated senior night with a shutout victory, winning 3-0 over ECS, and later in the week, they picked up two more 3-0 victories over Lakeland and Cordova. After a great season, they too are preparing for their postseason play. Varsity football is back on track after a 33-14 victory over Bartlett! This week, the Mustangs are away again, - but it is this Thursday that they will face Arlington at 7:00pm. Come out and show your support!

Varsity cross country and varsity golf are celebrating! For the fourth consecutive year, your varsity XC Lady Mustangs won the Frank Horton Invitational! It was Nora Newhouse’s third place finish and multiple other Mustangs’ top 25 finishes that led to this victory. Read the Daily Memphian’s full coverage. Congratulations to these athletes, and best of luck as they prepare for the upcoming Randolph Invite and MYA Championships later this month. For varsity golf, athletes Erin McDonald and John Gavin have advanced to competing at State! This week, they begin their practice round before competing on Thursday and Friday. Good luck to Erin and John as you represent Houston and GMSD!

Meet your October Athlete of the Month Nominees! Read what coaches have to say about these student athletes and their incredible work ethic both in athletics and in the classroom, and be sure to cast your vote! Voting is set to close Thursday, October 31 at 12:00pm.

Here are the October High School nominees:

Lindsey Barnes - Senior, Cross Country

John Gavin - Senior, Golf

Zerina Markovic - Senior, Soccer

Erin McDonald - Senior, Golf

Laila McNamee - Senior, Soccer

Tyler Schmitt - Sophomore, Cross Country

Here are the October Middle School nominees:

Kailey Askins - 8th Grade, Riverdale, Soccer

Julia Hight - 6th Grade, Riverdale, Cross Country

Owen Manguso - 8th Grade, Riverdale, Cross Country

Piper Olswing - 7th Grade, Houston Middle School, Soccer

William Pressler - 8th Grade, Houston Middle School, Cross Country

HHS Baseball is hosting their 21st annual golf tournament! This event is on Friday, November 8 with an 11:00 a.m. start time, and there are multiple ways to get involved. To register for this event and for any questions, contact mustangbullpenclub@gmail.com. Pay for your team or company's entrance here.

The Germantown Education Commission is excited to announce the return of the highly anticipated Battle of the Brains, a STEM-focused competition aimed at high school students. This event provides a competitive platform for young minds interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to showcase their talents.

The competition is scheduled for Saturday, November 2, from 9 a.m. to noon at Houston High School. Eligible participants include students from Germantown High School and Houston High School, as well as high school students living in Germantown but attending school outside the city or participating in homeschooling. All are invited to form teams and take part in this exciting challenge.

During the competition, teams will present their research and findings to university professors who specialize in the relevant fields. The top team members will each receive $300 in cash prizes, and their names will be inscribed on the prestigious Einstein Trophy, which has been a symbol of STEM excellence since the competition’s inception in 2009.

Space is limited, and applications, along with abstracts, must be submitted by October 23. More details and registration forms are available online at Germantown-TN.gov/BattleoftheBrains.

For additional information, interested students can contact Stacey Crockett, the Education Commission staff liaison, at SCrockett@Germantown-TN.gov or by phone at (901) 751-7559.

Don't miss this opportunity to compete, learn and earn recognition in the exciting world of STEM!

Make sure that your senior registers with a non-GMSD email address in our Alumni Portal!

View a digital copy of our ALUMNI magazine.

The GERMANTOWN MSD app – Our school district in your pocket. Sync our calendar seamlessly across all your devices. Access student information, attendance, assignments, grades and more – all in one convenient place. Get a personalized feed tailored to your preferences. Choose your schools and news sources for a streamlined experience. Stay informed, stay connected – with the GERMANTOWN MSD app.

You can quickly download the NEW GMSD app to access all of these features. First, search for 'Germantown MSD' in your preferred app store (iOS or Google). As a parent or caregiver, you'll select 'App Login' to access your child's information. The login process includes a one-time passcode that connects to the cell phone or email you have listed in Skyward--so there's no passwords to learn or memorize! If you need assistance logging in, we are standing by to help.

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/germantown-msd/id6446898026

Google: http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blackboard.community.gmsdk12

*If either of the two links above are not working, you can also find the app by searching Germantown MSD.