The MCS District Update October

Dear MCS Families,

We hope you enjoyed a relaxing fall break and are ready for a busy second nine-weeks to wrap up the fall semester. Please remember that Election Day, November 5, is a professional development day for teachers, and students will not attend school.

We can't wait to see our students back tomorrow, October 16!

THIS MONTH'S UPDATE CONTAINS:

• Save the Date - MCS District Office Ribbon Cutting and Open House on October 24
• MHS Flag Football League for Students Ages 5-11
• Save the Date - Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat on October 27
• MJHS Ready Graduate Gazette - College and Career News
• Student Life
• FHE Receives All Kids Bike Grant for Kindergarten Students
• MCS Fine and Performing Arts Newsletter
• School Safety
• Cheer Fall Clinic for Students in Grades K-6
• Homecoming for a Cause
• Niche.com Rankings for 2025

- WE ARE MARYVILLE -

On September 16, kindergarten students at Foothills Elementary stepped into the gym to a big surprise. Thanks to a generous donation from John Jessup and James Sanborn of Dream Rides, FHE received a grant that provided 24 brand new Strides balance-to-pedal bikes, pedal conversion kits, adjustable helmets, and two rolling storage racks. Teacher training and certification is also included in the grant, along with a full curriculum of lesson plans, games, and activities.

To celebrate the launch of the program, FHE held a kickoff event, with attendees from Dream Rides joining in to surprise the students. A special thank you goes to PE teacher Tyler Robinson for securing the grant that made this opportunity possible for kindergarten students. Mr. Robinson shared, "At Foothills, we love teaching our kids about lifelong physical fitness and activities they can enjoy for years to come. This program allows us to do just that, giving our kids the opportunity to learn a fantastic new skill."

School safety remains a top priority for MCS. Our district uses the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) for emergency preparedness to ensure students and staff are familiar with the procedures and language used during an emergency event.

The state of Tennessee requires a variety of safety drills, including fire and armed intruder drills, which schools conduct throughout the year. Some of these drills involve students, while others are table-top exercises exclusively for staff to prepare them for a variety of situations.

Last year, MCS enhanced our safety measures by implementing the Centegix CrisisAlert platform in all of our buildings. This system equips each teacher with a mobile panic button that can be pushed in the event of a crisis, including medical emergencies. In the event of an intruder, staff are trained to press the badge and follow the lockdown directives in the SRP. The badge immediately alerts both campus Site Responders and the 911 Call Center. The 911 Call Center will immediately dispatch officers to the school to support the School Resource Officer in responding to the emergency.

Additionally, our district added ballistic film to each of our school entrances, and we recently secured a grant to install control-access keyless entries to further enhance the safety of our school buildings.

While we hope to never need the plans and safety measures we have put into place, we value taking a comprehensive approach to ensure both staff and students are well prepared in the event of an emergency.

On Friday, September 27, Maryville High School concluded a week of homecoming celebrations with its annual homecoming court and a win over the Hardin Valley Hawks. This year's court featured eight seniors and three juniors, with Carly Johnson crowned as homecoming queen. At MHS, the annual homecoming court focuses on impact and service, with candidates working to raise funds for non-profit organizations of their choice. Together, these young ladies raised over $82,000, with $77,000 directly benefiting Blount County.

Homecoming Queen Carly Johnson raised over $18,000 for Kingdom Design Ministries, while first runner-up Ada Monroe raised over $14,000 to Habitat for Humanity. Second runner-up Trenli Tallent raised more than $13,000 for Family Promise.

Maryville High School is grateful for the students, families, and community members who supported the homecoming candidates and the causes they championed. Additional organizations that benefitted from the homecoming court include New Hope (Blount County), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (Blount County), Shop with a Cop (Blount County), The Lupus Foundation of America, Meals on Wheels (Smoky Mountain Chapter), The American Liver Foundation, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and I Support the Girls (Knoxville).

Maryville City Schools is proud of these young ladies for highlighting the importance of serving others and giving back to the community.