The MCS District Update April

Dear MCS Families,

It's incredible to think that the end of the school year is just around the corner! As families and students gear up for a well-deserved summer break, our teachers, administrators, and district office staff are busy preparing for the upcoming year. A change for the 24-25 school year that we want to share with parents ahead of time is the transition from an iReach User fee for laptops to an optional insurance plan. We also want to encourage families of returning students to complete the required ANNUAL VERIFICATION process for their students prior to the end of the school year. Completing this process early allows our schools to work on scheduling for the upcoming school year. Annual Verification opens on April 15. Additionally, we're introducing a new district app that will streamline access to your student's information, making it quicker and easier to navigate. Summer is a fantastic time to participate in athletic camps, and sign-ups are currently open. Check out the flyers below for more details.

THIS MONTH'S UPDATE CONTAINS:

• NEW for the Upcoming School Year - iReach Protection Plan
• It's Time to VERIFY! Verification for RETURNING students opens on April 15
• Elementary Baseball Night - Free Admission for Students
• MCS Athletic Fields - Planning for the Future
• Spring Sing 2024
• Kindergarten Registration
• DECA Students Compete in State Conference
• Link to MCS Fine and Performing Arts Newsletter
• MHS Band Earns a Perfect Score
• Blount County Turn Around Achievement Awards
• FHE Hosts 3rd Grade Night
• MCS Ready Graduate Update
• MJHS Ready Graduate Gazette
• MCS Student Life
• MCS Summer Sports Camps
• MCS Cheer Clinic
• Blount County Parks and Rec Summer Camps
• Important Dates to Remember

- WE ARE MARYVILLE -

Maryville City Schools will no longer be charging an iReach User Fee for at-home use of the devices in grades 4-12. We recognize technology used in our classrooms requires all students to access their school-issued devices from home. Instead, we are moving to an optional iReach Protection Plan. The cost for this plan is the same cost as our iReach User Fee, but this purchase protects and covers the device against damages rather than a fee for accessing the device at home. The Protection Plan provides an increased value to families for damages and accidents. In the last several years of being an iReach district, we have had contracts where some maintenance and repair orders were built into the purchase of the device. Now, however, a maintenance plan is not included with the purchase of the devices, so the district will be responsible for all damages to all devices in grades K-12. In addition, repair costs have risen as well as an increase in damages to devices. For these reasons, the optional Protection Plan will be available to ALL students in grades K-12. Please use the link below to access a chart detailing billable charges for damages with and without the iReach Protection Plan.

The 2024-2025 MCS iReach Protection Plan may be purchased at any time. However, it is best to purchase the plan at the beginning of the school year. Damage claims prior to plan purchase are not eligible for coverage by the iReach Protection Plan. Beginning Labor Day, device inspection is required for all new iReach Protection Plan purchases. Additionally, the annual iReach Protection Plan expires at the end of each school year and must be renewed annually.

The iReach Protection Plan provides coverage for the cost of replacing or repairing devices on a sliding scale. Charges are based on the level and frequency of damage. Loaner devices will be provided while the assigned device is being repaired, and these devices will not be restricted to day use devices. Loaner devices will travel home with students in grades 4-12, the same as their iReady issued device.

Families who decline the purchase of the iReach Protection Plan will be charged full prices for all damages. Even if the iReach Protection Plan is purchased, intentional and willful damage will be billed the full payment minus the Protection Plan Purchase. No additional discounting will occur for intentional damage. The iReach Protection Plan does NOT cover loss or theft.

Returning student verification for the 2024-2025 school year opens on MONDAY, APRIL 15. This process must be completed for all students who plan to return to our schools for the 2024-2025 school year. We are asking parents to have verification completed on or before the last day of School - May 17.

If a student will NOT be returning to our schools due to relocation or other enrollment, please check the first box indicating he or she will not be returning to MCS for the 24-25 school year. Thank you for sharing that information as well.

On April 15, parents will receive an email that includes verification link.

Maryville City Schools is in the early stages of investigating and determining the needs for our athletic fields. No firm decisions have been made at this time. We are investigating the feasibility of renovating the field/track at MJHS, building tennis courts at JSE, and adding a dressing room to the track facility behind CGIS. All these estimates will help inform the district of our options and probable timeline.

More than 30 years ago, Blount County music educators had a dream of providing an enrichment opportunity for exceptional choral music students. The goal was to expose students to great music and great musicians that went beyond the resources that schools could offer during the school day. This would afford students the opportunity to create music with other children in their community, while fine-tuning individual skills for the good of the ensemble.

Today, MCS continues this tradition. On Friday, February 23, 3rd-5th grade Choristers choir and a 6th-7th grade Chorale choir performed from Foothills Elementary, John Sevier Elementary, Sam Houston Elementary, Coulter Grove Intermediate, and Montgomery Ridge Intermediate schools. Special guest clinicians conducting the choir were Mr. James Wells and Dr. Lesley Mann.

Thirteen students from Maryville High School competed at the Tennessee Deca State Career Development Conference in Chattanooga on February 29-March 2. Holland Harvard, Abby Hall, and Emily Simms placed in the top 6 in their event.

Thank you to all of the participating students for representing Maryville City Schools!

Congratulations to the MHS band for earning a perfect score at the East TN School Band and Orchestra Association's Middle Area Concert Performance Assessment. Our exceptional band earned the American School Band Directors Association's Award of Distinction in Grade VI music (the highest level and classification for advanced wind band repertoire) by receiving all superior ratings in all categories from all judges both on-stage and in sight-reading. Band Director Jonathan Leichman shares, "I am very proud of these students, their impressive music results, and their positive representation of our school."

At a ceremony hosted at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Maryville, Dominic Turner, a student at Maryville Junior High School, and Kayden Wimbley, a senior at Maryville High School, were celebrated as the 2024 Turnaround Achievement Award Winners. Mr. Logan Goodin, a teacher a MJHS, commended Dominic for his perseverance and resilience. Similarly, Mr. Chase Vandervelde, a teacher at MHS, highlighted Kayden's remarkable academic progress from her sophomore to senior year across all her classes.

The Turnaround Achievement Awards, sponsored by Attorneys at Law Joe Costner and Steve Greene, annually recognize students who demonstrate dedication, perseverance, and commitment, altering the course of their futures. This year, Honorable Kenlyn Foster from the Blount County Juvenile Court delivered the keynote address, while the Voice of the Vols, Bob Kesling, served as the Master of Ceremonies.

MCS extends our gratitude to all those involved in making this event special for students in Blount County each year.

• 3rd Grade Art Show presented by Mrs. Carbonell

• Student Career Passion Projects

• Lego and building stations

• Variety of photo backdrops related to student career choices

• Introductions to MCS CTE programs

• Careers in Motion equipment for hands on experiences including Microscope sets, Snap Circuits sets, K'Nex sets, Human Torso Models, Human Brain/Skull Models and Teeth Models

• University of Tennessee, Knoxville STEMHub student volunteers to run STEM stations including a 3D printer

Thank you to the many families that participated in this event!

It's been a busy few weeks for the Ready Graduate crew! As we shared in the last update, our students have been out and about in the community spending time in their areas of interest and serving in our local school community. MJHS students visited the Aveda Insitute, and our MHS and MRIS students partnered to serve families at the FHE Passion Project night. It's been a really cool few weeks! As we head toward the finish line of the year, it's exciting to see some of the Ready Graduate dreams come to fruition, and we are so grateful for the community partners who have helped make this happen.

April 8: 2 Hour Early Dismissal for Eclipse

May 10: Class of 2024 Commencement Ceremony

May 17: Last Day for Students

May 21: Summer School Begins