MLK News: Back to School Edition

Tuesday - 7 period day (students report to Alpha home rooms)

Wednesday - 7 period day.

Thursday - 7 period day and Open House from 4-8

Friday - Royal Introductions all day

First Day Packets will come home with students on Tuesday, August 8th.

All First Day Packet information should be returned on Friday, August 11th.

Thank you.

I want to remind everyone to complete their Summer Reading and Advanced Placement Summer Work. All Summer Reading and Advanced Placement Summer Work should be completed by August 8th which is the first day of school.

Click on the link below and scroll to the bottom of our website that houses all Summer Reading and Advanced Placement Summer Work for MLK students.

https://mlk.mnps.org/students/summer_assignments

Thank you.

Planned by the Student Government Association (SGA) this year, our annual Royal Introductions Day is a time for students to get to know each other as well as their teachers.

Students currently enrolled in a Tennessee school and entering the 7th grade in August 2023 must provide the school an updated Tennessee Immunization Certificate with proof of an additional immunization:

1. Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster (“Tdap”): required regardless of Td history (2013 update)

The Metro Public Health Department and Metro Nashville Public Schools encourage you to get these immunizations NOW to avoid long waits in clinics and doctor’s offices. Schedule a visit with your child’s doctor or primary care provider for the immunizations. Immunizations may be available through the Metro Public Health Department if your child has TennCare, no insurance or insurance that does not pay for vaccines. Appointments are required. To learn more about the state's immunization requirements, visit the MPHD website.

The law requires parents to provide an updated immunization certificate to the school before the student can start 7th grade. You will only need to have proof of the additional immunization mentioned above on the updated immunization certificate. You can turn in the certificate to your child’s school as soon as you have it completed or no later than the start of school August 8.

For more information you may contact:

Metro Public Health Dept.
Immunization Program
615-340-5667

Metro Schools Family Information Center
615-259-4636
familyinfo@mnps.org

Immunization Clinic Locations:
Lentz Public Health Flyer 2500 Charlotte Ave Nashville, TN 37210 615-340-5607
Woodbine Public Health Flyer 224 Oriel Ave Nashville, TN 37210 615-862-7940
East Public Health Flyer 1015 East Trinity Lane Nashville, TN 37216 615-862-7916

***Please fax to 615-329-8140 or email marquis.churchwell@mnps.org and bettina.vasser@mnps.org

Parents,

We are preparing for the 2023-2024 school year. I want to make you aware breakfast and lunch will be provided to students at no cost. This does not mean you should not apply for free and reduced lunch if your child will qualify according to your income.

If your child will qualify for free and reduced lunch benefits, I want to provide the link for you to submit your Free and Reduced Lunch Application online on this website if needed for the 2023-2024 school year. Please know completing this application not only impacts you and fees that impact your child during the 2023-2024 school year. It also impacts MNPS. If you qualify for free and reduced lunch and are approved, MNPS will have reduced fees when it pertains to your child. For example, if your child is enrolled in Advanced Placement classes and is approved for free and reduced lunch, MNPS will pay a reduced rate for the Advanced Placement test(s).

The link below will take you to the online 2023-2024 MNPS Student-Parent Handbook. This handbook contains important permissions for your child pertaining to the 2023-2024 school year including whether or not your child can be photographed by the school or the media. Please take time to read it over and approve or disapprove the permissions in the handbook.

Student-Parent Handbook - Metro Nashville Public Schools (mnps.org)

After school begins, please print the documents in the link below and send the documents that apply to your student at MLK.

2023-2024 Student Parent Handbook One Pager Info Sheet.pdf

23-24 Student Parent Handbook Permission Forms.pdf

Thank you.

Download and share the 2023-24 District Calendar: Arabic, Burmese, English, Kurdish, Somali, Spanish, Swahili

English => MNPS District Calendar 2023-2024 - 110422.pdf

When you drive in front of the school on 17th Avenue North, you will be routed into Watkins Park parking lot. When in the parking lot, you will stop and allow your child to quickly exit the vehicle.

If you need more time with your child, please pull into a parking space. This will allow the flow of traffic to continue. Once your child exits the vehicle, re-enter the flow of traffic.

Please know you will be required to turn right when exiting the Watkins Park parking lot. If a train is coming, you will be allowed to turn left.

Crossing guards will be present to help with the traffic. Please work with the crossing guards. They are here to help.

Here is a visual of the traffic flow => New MLK Traffic Plan.pdf

During the day, there are designated parking spaces in the Watkins Park parking lot assigned to MLK students. Signage indicates MLK designated student parking.

Watkins Park parking is for visitors to Watkins Park and the Watkins Park library.

Thank you for your help in advance!

As student lots were made available on a first-come first-served basis, students who are able to park in our student lots have already been contacted by Dr. Williams. If you did not receive a communication confirming your spot, you are not able to park in the student lots. A waiting list has been made and students will be notified of any changes. Thank you for understanding as our parking lot space is very limited.

1. The Watkins Park parking lot does not belong to MLK. The director of the park has been kind enough to let us use half of that lot every year. Unfortunately, because students have not adhered to the guidelines for that lot, we were asked to formalize the process for students to park there. This means they need a decal and only a certain number of students parking there. This eliminates ticketing, towing, and phone calls to MLK administration during the busy school day.
2. The parking lot by the funeral home (16th and Jo Johnston) also does not belong to MLK. MLK has an agreement with MDHA to utilize that lot for students. This summer, the lot became a pay to park lot. The owner of the lot has been gracious enough to allow our students to park in that lot during the school day as long as they have a parking decal. This will prevent ticketing and towing. Because of the changes made this school year, we were given a directive from MNPS to formalize our process by assigning parking lots and giving decals.
3. The only parking lot we own is 19th and Jo Johnston. This parking lot has 21 parking spaces. Please know our parking lot also requires a MLK parking decal.

Parking can also be found in front of the school and on Fisk Street.

The link to access the 2023-2024 MLK Student Handbook is below.

MLK Student Handbook (Final Draft).pdf

Starting this year, students will use ClassLink to access all of their online teaching and learning resources. Students will only need to login once to safely and securely access all of their learning tools, like iReady, Lexia, Schoology, Office 365, and more.

We’ve added a link to ClassLink to our website and all school websites. Students will learn more about logging in for the first time when they return to school in August.

Seniors - Be sure you have figured out your senior picture options! Check out this flyer to see how to take senior pictures and how to purchase senior ads. Senior Picture Options Handout 23-24.pdf Questions? Email Mrs. Spencer (caroline.spencer@mnps.org).

Purchase your yearbook now while it is the CHEAPEST price! Yearbooks will be $75 until October 15. It’s going to be an amazing year, so be sure to purchase your yearbook today!

MLK's state champion Girls Track team and state champion Boys 4x400m relay team are honored at the MNPS Breakfast of Champions.

MLK

1. Girls Track & Field Team Champion
2. 4x200m Relay (Girls)
3. 4x400m Relay (Girls)
4. 4x400m Relay (Boys)
5. Amya Joy Pentathlon
6. LaNaya Roberts Discus
7. Aaliyah Varnado 100m & 200m

Boys 4x400 relay team

Jaylen Jones

Carl Owens

Jaquis Williams

Somto Okolocha

Ethan Pantin participated in the Future Presidents of America Camp this week at the Andrew Jackson Hermitage. He was selected after reviewing his application and a competitive interview process.

Click on the link below to learn more.

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/heres-why-the-future-president-of-the-united-states-may-have-been-in-nashville-this-week

Many MLK students participated in the Empower Youth program that paired students with jobs that allowed them to experience jobs they may want to pursue in the future.

Welcome to our newest Royals entering the 7th grade!

Smart Start took place July 24 - 26. The focus of Smart Start is for students to have time in the building to bond with the 7th grade student cohort and teachers. It also gives teachers an opportunity to set expectations for the school year.

Students tour and learn the physical space they will call home for the next years called MLK.

MLK graduates, Orlandis Maise and Miles Wood, were featured recently on the show "Today in Nashville" on WSMV discussing their concerts at both the Schermerhorn and Carnegie Hall. They are two of more than 100 outstanding teen musicians from 31 U.S. states who came together as the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America this summer. You can see their interview in the link below.

Metro Graduates Chat About Schermerhorn Performance As Part Of National Youth Orchestra (wsmv.com)

After school tutoring will begin after Labor Day. Tutoring will take place from 3:15 pm until 4:15 pm in room 2206 located on the 2nd floor of the 1936 building.

Look for information during the upcoming school year.

Look for information during the upcoming school year.

Look for information during the upcoming school year.

MLK School Account:

Twitter: @MLKRoyals

PTSA Accounts:

Instagram: @MLKRoyals

Twitter: @MLKPTSA

Facebook: MLK PTSA

Do you want to stay up to date with what is going on at MLK?

Go to our website calendar: Calendar - Martin Luther King Jr. School (mnps.org)

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.

Campus Portal Login (mnps.org)

Log in to Schoology

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.

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