MLK News: September 19 - 23, 2022

Please have them reach out to Julie Jones at julievm@hotmail.com and make her aware. Thank you.

What does it mean to be a Reward school?

A Reward School is a school with outstanding student achievement or growth over the past three years.

In Tennessee, there are five tiers in which districts can be categorized for accountability purposes. The accountability system takes scores from a variety of different metrics to show how the overall district has performed for its students.

MNPS has been named an Advancing District, which is the second highest rating a district can achieve in the state’s accountability model.

MNPS had 48 Reward Schools this year, more than ever before! That includes 34 district-run schools that are managed by the Support Hub and 14 charter schools from across Nashville and Davidson County.

Reward Schools are those that have scored in the top tier of the state’s accountability matrix, which factors in TCAP achievement scores, growth scores, chronic absence, English Learner proficiency, graduation rates, and Ready Graduate metrics, depending on the grade tier of the school.

Click here for a list of all reward schools named this year and more information about the state’s release for MNPS.

On Tuesday, administrators were surprised by Michelle Maultsby-Springer, Chief of Student Support Services, from the District Support Hub with balloons and cupcakes for faculty and staff.

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.

Jonathan Menjivar, Vincent Wang, Gregory Gomez, Kush Patel, Arnav Mujumdar, Lilly Zhang, and Olivia Boyer have been chosen as National Merit Semifinalists by the College Board. Congratulations to these students on this high honor!

Come out and help with the Fall clean-up of MLK on Saturday, September 24th, from 8:00 am until 12 noon.

Please drop off water, granola bars, and fruit for the Hands on MLK Day volunteers.

Thank you for your help in advance.

School picture day for 7-11th grade students was Friday, September 9. If your student missed picture day, there will be a make-up picture day Friday, October 21. In 3-4 weeks, you should receive an email from Lifetouch with a proof of your picture. If you would like to purchase pictures online, go to mylifetouch.com, and use the event code EVTD6TJ84. Questions? Contact Mrs. Spencer, the yearbook teacher. (caroline.spencer@mnps.org)

Seniors - please make sure you’ve viewed this flyer, and you have a plan for senior pictures. ALL SENIORS need to submit a baby picture by September 30 using this link. To submit pictures, you will need to login with a student MNPS Microsoft account. If you’re planning to make an appointment with Prestige at their studio, you need to do so ASAP! Their appointments only go through the end of October. Questions? Contact Mrs. Spencer the yearbook teacher. (caroline.spencer@mnps.org)

Our first full College Fair since the pandemic was well received by 9-12 students. They were able to browse colleges and universities of different sizes from near and far. Thank you to Mrs. Hensley and the student support services team for a job well done!

Jacqueline McCrary (2014) and Dr. Watechia Lawless (1991) (pictured) returned to MLK as representatives of Spelman College in Atlanta, the nation’s oldest institution of higher education for Black women.

Also, Soteria Francis (2022) (not pictured) returned to represent Fisk University.

Welcome back, Royals!

MLK is looking for a Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Representative. Please email Angela.McShepard-Ray@mnps.org if you are willing to serve as MLK's PAC representative.

We Go passes have been given to students. Starting next week, students will need their We Go pass to ride the We Go bus. Please have your We Go pass so you can ride the bus.

Anyone is welcome to audition, and we encourage all.

Audition Schedule:

• Wednesday, Sept 21 - acting auditions, vocal auditions AND orchestra auditions for pit players
• Thursday, Sept. 22 - dancing auditions
• Friday, Sept. 23 - callbacks

*All auditions take place immediately after school.

Please come prepared with a one minute monologue for acting and 16 bars of a song of your choice.

Tech Crew information will follow shortly.

Please fill out this form if you plan to audition. https://forms.gle/J35bJhBnKTvo9pNy8

Meg Tennent won the Freshman girls race, Gabby Havron was second place varsity girls, and Sam Ewing (5th), Charlie Tennent (7th), and Seamus Havron (10th), rocked the 60 deep Freshman Boys field, all three of them posting times that were competitive against strong sophomore and JV fields.

MLK riders, all five of them (which is the bare minimum to score points for their school) were 9th place out of 28 teams. Congratulations to these students!!

Pictured left to right: Sam Ewing, Gabby Havron, Meg Tennent, Charlie Tennent.

Ms. Agee would like to invite you to sign up for the American Mathematics Competition. It is a 75 minute math test that tests problem solving skills especially. It will be given on November 16th during the school day. It costs $5 to take and is due by November 1st. You can either pay Ms. Agee in Room 2108, or there is a school cash online group set up to take payments that you may use. I hope many of you take advantage of the opportunity to test yourself and your growing skills. Here is a link for you that includes some practice problems so you can see what the test is like. https://www.maa.org/sites/default/files/2017_AMC1012_Practice_Questions.pdf

You can find the supporting materials here:

Financial Aid Information Night PowerPoint.pptx and State Aid Summary.pdf

The link to the recording is here: https://youtu.be/hE5x9XFzDfk

The video link for last week's virtual Freshman Forum / Sophomore Seminar is below:

https://youtu.be/3iEeRAqFKs4

Thanks to your generous support we have raised $57,352.00 in pledges and donations toward our $60,000 INVEST goal!🎉 We are so close and need YOUR help to raise the remaining $2,648 to reach our goal before Fall Break!

The INVEST campaign provides funding to enhance resources for students and equips our teachers with tools to be more effective in the classroom. Your tax-deductible donation to the MLK INVEST campaign will help create a strong foundation for future success. Every donation, regardless of the amount, matters and makes a difference.

Please consider maximizing your ability to give by pledging an amount that will be divided in 5 payments. All donors will receive an MLK sticker or magnet, and $200+ donors will receive an MLK WHITE OUT T-SHIRT while supplies last. We are coordinating a day to distribute the remaining merch on 9/23. Standby for more details.

AND as an added incentive two lucky INVEST Donors will receive a $25 gift card to the MLK Spirit Store each week until Fall Break! This week's lucky winners are: Angel Eshetu and Eco Patrick

If you haven’t made your INVEST donation or pledge yet, please do so today at https://investmlk.evrits.com

Be a LOYAL ROYAL and DONATE TODAY!

Dear 8th – 11th Grade Students/Families,

On Tuesday, October 25th, the PSAT will be administered at MLK to every 8th-11th grade student. The PSAT is a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT and gives students access to college and career planning tools. Taking the PSAT as a junior allows students a chance to become National Merit Scholars, which often translates to scholarships at highly selective universities. MLK had 8 National Merit semi-finalists in the class of 2021, 5 semi-finalists in the class of 2022, and 7 semi-finalists in the class of 2023!

MNPS is using a new payment platform this school year (School Cash Online) and payment for the PSAT can be made online by clicking the grade-level specific links below. Please be sure to enter your child’s name in the box that asks “who are you purchasing this for?” If you haven’t already created an account, the system will direct you to register for an account or check-out as a guest. You will also be able to “select more items” and add additional payments for multiple children (if applicable).

11th Grade PSAT Purchase

10th Grade PSAT Purchase

9th Grade PSAT Purchase

8th Grade PSAT Purchase

For additional information on the PSAT, please visit the College Board’s Website:

https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt.

MLK requires each 8th-11th grade student to take the PSAT. All payments must be made by Friday, October 21st. If online payment is not an option for your family or you need financial assistance to pay for the PSAT, please reply to this email.

We want to ensure our students have every advantage available to them. Thanks for your immediate attention and support!

For high school students it occurs Monday-Thursday from 3:15 - 4:15 p.m. in room 2206.

For middle school the schedule is from 3:15-4:15, Monday-Thursday.

• 8th Grade - Monday (Poston)and Tuesday (Boleyjack),
• 7th Grade - Wednesday (Taylor) and Thursday (Ellis).

More information

• High School - Contact Ms. Agee, Teresa.Agee@mnps.org
• Middle School - Contact Mrs. Taylor, Carlene.Taylor@mnps.org

• Tuesday, Sept. 20 - Senior Retreat to Tennessee Tech University

• Wednesday, Sept. 21 – College Center Extended Hours 3:00 – 5:00 pm – Stop by for help with anything “college-related”!

• Thursday, Sept. 22 - A representative from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) will be in the College Center during lunch to meet with interested Seniors and Juniors. Watch for an email from Mrs. Hensley for registration instructions.

This Week's College Visitors During Lunch:

Monday: Babson College (small, private business school in Babson Park, MA)

Tuesday: Stevens Institute of Technology (small, private research university in Hoboken, NJ)

Wednesday: Wake Forest

Friday: University of Miami

Order your 2022-2023 yearbook today! Yearbooks will be $75 until October 20. After October 20, the price goes up to $85. You can go to jostensyearbooks.com today to order your yearbook! Questions about the yearbook? Contact our yearbook teacher, Mrs. Spencer. Caroline.Spencer@Mnps.org

Welcome to week 6 of the 2022-2023 ACT Corner!

This week’s practice passage comes from the Science section of the ACT. Science_passage_7_Sept_15_2022.pdf

Correct answers to last week’s Reading passage are also included. answers_Reading_passage_7_Sept_7_2022.pdf

Box Tops is now an app! Just download the “Box Tops for Education” app to your phone, choose "Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School" in “Manage Schools” in “Account Settings.” After you shop, scan your grocery receipt to earn free money for MLK.

MLK Spirit Store

2022-2023

Our MLK Spirit Store will OPEN Monday, August 15

Operating Guidelines

The details for shopping MLK apparel online, payment options, and

picking up your order are below. Click on the link below to order.

MemberHub

Apparel:

• New apparel will be added to the website on a regular basis. We will also

be restocking popular items; however, not all items will be restocked so

please do not delay in purchasing your items. If you do not see your size or

the color you want, please continue to check the website for updates.

• You will NOT have the opportunity to try on apparel prior to purchasing.

• NO RETURNS will be allowed on any purchased items. Most of our spirit

wear is printed on Gildan apparel (100% cotton) and fits true to size. Please

pay careful attention to the size that you choose prior to placing your

online order.

Online Payment Options:

• All major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX) are accepted. You will also

be charged a nominal credit card processing fee (based on your subtotal)

for all online purchases.

Picking Up Your Order:

• Parents/students will be able to pick up online orders in the front office.

MLK parent volunteers will be processing orders for pick up on Wednesdays

and Fridays of every week. You will be required to sign for your paid online

order upon pick up. There are no alternative payment options at pick up.

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.

The Lifeline’s network of over 200 crisis centers has been in operation since 2005, and has been proven to be effective. It’s the counselors at these local crisis centers who answer the contacts the Lifeline receives every day. Numerous studies have shown that callers feel less suicidal, less depressed, less overwhelmed and more hopeful after speaking with a Lifeline counselor.

Answer the call! These centers are looking to bring on new volunteers and paid employees. You will receive training, so if you are a caring person who wants to help those in crisis, apply today. Find your opportunity: samhsa.gov/988-jobs

• For ways to support your local Lifeline network crisis center, visit our Crisis Centers page here.
• To learn about the impact of the Lifeline, visit our new By the Numbers page.
• To learn about what happens when you call, text, or chat with the Lifeline, click here.
• To learn more about the history of 988, visit here.
• To learn how Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit administrator of the Lifeline, has been supporting states’ implementation planning for 988 through grants, check here.

If you’re a Veteran, Service Member or loved one and want to know more about how 988 will affect the Veterans Crisis Line, click here.

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