Not so long ago in a galaxy that we all live in, hundreds of fourth and fifth graders from around the district participated in the Mini Mu Mathematics Competition at Brentwood High School. This year’s event was held December 5 and featured a Star Wars theme.

More than 400 elementary students competed in two tests at each grade level. Members of the Brentwood High School Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society wrote, proctored and graded the tests and planned the activities for the day.

Listed below are the top WCS students for each test who were recognized with awards at the end of the day.

The Academic All-Star award is given to students who exhibit a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence in the classroom. Each Academic All-Star is chosen by his or her principal and receives a framed certificate, coupons to Sonic Drive-In and a free gift courtesy of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More in Franklin.

Teachers at Allendale Elementary School describe fifth grader Amir McDaniel as a hardworking student with a heart of gold.

Those are just a couple of reasons why Amir was chosen as Allendale’s Academic All-Star for the 2015-16 school year.

“Amir has been an Allendale Alligator since third grade,” said Allendale Principal Dr. Melonye Lowe. “During his time with us, we have found him to be full of enthusiasm and excitement. He shows care to his classmates by always being the first student to say congratulations or good job to a friend or classmate when they have shown success.”

Having moved to Spring Hill from Georgia, Amir says the transition wasn’t easy, but the teachers and staff at Allendale made a huge difference.

“When I first moved here I wasn’t the best behaved because I didn’t know anyone,” said Amir. “But the teachers are nice, and they’re really good at teaching kids.”

Amir says his best subject is reading, but his favorite is science. He pledges to keep working hard as he finishes up fifth grade and prepares for middle school in the fall. It’s a promise those around him know he can keep.

“Amir is an Academic All-Star because he continues to keep a positive attitude and always gives his best at school,” said Lowe. “He is always upbeat and ready to take on any challenge in the classroom.”

Numerous talented student artists from three Williamson County high schools have earned spots in the eighth annual Middle Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition.

The awards reception will be held February 25 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. The awards ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Awards include Best-of-Show Purchase Award, which will received a $500 reward. Additionally, the artwork will become a permanent part of the collection of author James Dodson, on loan to the Knoxville Museum of Art’s Education Collection until needed for other exhibitions held by the Tennessee Art Education Association.

All other best-of categories include a $50 reward. These pieces of art will remain with Belmont University’s Department of Art until the Tennessee’s Best of the Best Student Art Exhibition in the summer, dates to be announced closer to the date.

Awards will also be given out for first, second and third place, as well as honorable mentions, in each grade level.

Congratulations to the following student artists:

The Academic All-Star award is given to students who exhibit a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence in the classroom. Each Academic All-Star is chosen by his or her principal and receives a framed certificate, coupons to Sonic Drive-In and a free gift courtesy of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More in Franklin.

Education is a gift that Brentwood High School Academic All-Star Caroline Enright does not take for granted. As she prepares to enter the final semester of high school, Caroline says her thirst for knowledge is as strong as ever.

“I love learning,” said Caroline. “This high school provides students with so many options of how to learn, and there are incredible teachers at each level. They’ve taught me important life lessons and how to be a good citizen to the world.”

For the past two years, Caroline has been in charge of the Best Buddies program at Brentwood High. And while running Best Buddies takes up a lot of her time, she says it truly is a labor of love.

“This is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life,” said Caroline. “I’m going to work with people with disabilities. Just seeing what we’ve been able to do here at Brentwood High – not just for the students who are in Best Buddies – but how we’ve impacted the school as well, that’s what my experience is really all about.”

Not only is Caroline involved in Best Buddies, but she is also a BE NICE student ambassador and a member of the WCS Student Advisory Council. Outside of school, Caroline devotes much of her time to church activities. In fact, it was through a mission trip that she first traveled to Africa in 2014, a journey that had a profound effect on her.

“The first trip was with a real large group of about 50 people and it was called Nashville Sings with Uganda,” said Caroline. “It was a cool introduction but I definitely wanted more than just playing with kids and singing, so I got to go back this fall. I worked specifically with one ministry called Divine Care. They took me to the two schools in the country that do services for people with disabilities and so I got to see how those schools work.”

Although she plans to attend college after graduation, Caroline says she hopes to eventually return to Africa to work with people with disabilities. In the meantime, Caroline says those experiences will continue to motivate her to make the most of every opportunity.

“These trips just reaffirmed how much education is a gift and how valuable it is,” said Caroline. “It kept me from going in a senior slide because while I was in Africa I was holding and playing with kids who would give anything just to go to school, and that mindset changes everything in terms of being okay with homework and wanting to learn more.”

The results are in from the 4th Annual Drive Away Hunger Challenge! Franklin High School won the prize for highest total number of pounds and Fairview High School won the award the most pounds of food per student.

Between the nine high schools, thousands of students participated by collecting 23,670 pounds of food for the pantry at GraceWorks. Over the past four years, the drive has collected over 100,000 pounds of food, all which has been used to support the efforts of GraceWorks.

“It has been a privilege for our schools to participate in the Drive Away Hunger Challenge for the fourth consecutive year,” said WCS Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools Dr. Charles Farmer. “My hope is that our ability to provide 12 tons of food items will in some small way impact a growing need in the great Williamson County community.”

The Drive Away Hunger Challenge grew from Darrell Waltrip Automotive Group’s desire to create an event that would support the efforts of GraceWorks’ pantry and their work to make sure no child in Williamson County goes hungry. Each year students at both a middle school and high school level in Williamson County’s public schools compete for cash prizes, bragging rights and trophies that will stay with the winning schools until the next year.

“Once again the generosity of Williamson County High Schools has amazed me,” said GraceWorks Food Pantry Manager Stephanie Wracher. “Congratulations to Franklin High and Fairview High on their big win again this year. Ravenwood High was a strong second followed by Centennial High. Independence more than doubled their contributions over last year. Thank you to all the high schools for your commitment to helping our Williamson County neighbors in need.”

For their wins, both Franklin and Fairview high schools received a check for $1,250 in prize money to put towards school initiatives.

Congratulations are in order for dozens of Williamson County musicians who earned spots in Mid-State and All-State bands and orchestras.

All students below qualified for Mid-State honors. The students auditioned and were ranked on the basis of the audition score. After a score was determined, the appropriate number of each instrument was assigned to the bands and orchestras, in order of gold, then silver. The top students from gold band and orchestra are then selected to attend the Tennessee All-State band and orchestra clinic, which takes place at the Tennessee Music Educators Association Conference in April.

The All Mid-State band clinic will run January 7-9. A free concert will be held following the clinic in the Tucker Theater of the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building at MTSU on Saturday.

The performance schedule is as follows:

• 9 a.m. – 7th and 8th Grade Silver Band
• 9:45 a.m. – 7th and 8th Grade Gold Band
• 1:30 p.m. – 9th and 10th Grade Silver
• 2:30 p.m. – 9th and 10th Grade Gold
• 3:30 p.m. – 11th and 12th Grade Silver
• 4:30 p.m. – 11th and 12th Grade Gold

The All Mid-State orchestra and jazz band clinic begins January 14. The free performances at the culmination of the clinic will take place at Blackman High School and Blackman Middle School on Saturday, January 16.

The performance schedule is as follows for Blackman High School:

• 9 a.m. – 7th and 8th Grade String Orchestra
• 10 a.m. – 9th and 10th Grade String Orchestra
• 11 a.m. – 11th and 12th Grade Symphony Orchestra

The performance schedule is as follows for Blackman Middle School:

• 2 p.m. – 7th and 8th Grade Jazz Band
• 3 p.m. – 9th – 12th Grade Silver Jazz Band
• 4 p.m. – 9th – 12th Grade Gold Jazz Band

Five Williamson County Schools juniors have joined an elite list of students who earned a perfect score on the ACT.

Chiraag Kaushik
Brentwood High

Arjun Keerthi
Brentwood High

Harry Westbrook
Brentwood High

David Price
Centennial High

Jerry Lu
Ravenwood High

Congratulations to Chiraag Kaushik, Arjun Keerthi and Harry Westbrook of Brentwood High; David Price of Centennial High; and Jerry Lu of Ravenwood High.

While the number of students earning a composite score of 36 varies from year to year, less than one-tenth of one percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score.

The ACT assesses students’ academic readiness for college and consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores.

David Price
Centennial High

You might call it a double dose of perfection. Not only did Centennial High School junior David Price earn a perfect ACT score as reported in last week’s issue of InFocus, but he also aced the PSAT.

“David is a fantastic young man and to see him experience this type of success during the first semester of his junior year is so gratifying,” said CHS Principal Dr. Leigh Webb. “Test scores don’t define us as they are a snapshot of where a student is at a certain time, however, the results of assessments can certainly help us celebrate the types of students we have. I think David’s recent scores are helping us do just that. He makes Centennial proud.”

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in the United States.

The Academic All-Star award is given to students who exhibit a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence in the classroom. Each Academic All-Star is chosen by his or her principal and receives a framed certificate, coupons to Sonic Drive-In and a free gift courtesy of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More in Franklin.

Congratulations to Fairview Middle eighth grader Mariah Rooks for being named the school’s Academic All-Star for the 2015-16 school year.

“Mariah is a very hard worker,” said FVMS Principal Gary Shrader. “She brightens the day of every person she comes across. She always gives her best effort, and she always has a smile on her face.”

That smile is most evident when Mariah is studying her favorite subject, science.

“Mariah absolutely loves doing labs,” said Fairview Middle Science Teacher Nancy Gilbert. “She is the most excited person in the room when we do a lab. She works hard, makes good test grades and is a joy to have in class.”

Mariah began attending Fairview Middle as a seventh grader. Although she loves everything about the school, Mariah admits she’s excited to join her older sister at Fairview High next year.

When she’s not in school, Mariah loves to ride horses.

“I’ve been in four competitions,” said Mariah. “I was in two in Florida, and I was in one here last year and one the year before.”

When asked why it’s important for her to succeed in school, Mariah’s answer was simple.

“I want to do well, so I can continue to learn.”

The Academic All-Star award is given to students who exhibit a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence in the classroom. Each Academic All-Star is chosen by his or her principal and receives a framed certificate, coupons to Sonic Drive-In and a free gift courtesy of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More in Franklin.

Nine year-old Charlie Hartland is the kind of student who comes to school each day with a positive attitude and ready to learn. That’s why the teachers and administrators at Hunters Bend Elementary say he’s the perfect choice for this year’s Academic All-Star award.

“Charlie always gives his best effort and perseveres through even the most difficult tasks,” said HBES Teacher Celeste Grider. “Charlie is a team player who collaborates well with his peers. In addition to being a good student, Charlie exemplifies what a person with character does both in and out of the classroom.”

Charlie, who’s now in fourth grade, has attended Hunters Bend since kindergarten and says the teachers are great because they truly care about their students. His favorite subject is spelling, and while he’s not entirely sure what he wants to be when he grows up, Charlie says he might like to be a boxer.

Outside of the classroom, Charlie likes to relax by watching YouTube videos. He also enjoys competing in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) where he is only nine months away from earning his black belt.

In the meantime, Charlie says he plans to keep working hard at school because he knows a good education will open many doors for him in the future.

The Woodland Middle girls soccer team finished their season as any middle school team hopes – atop the Williamson Middle Athletics Association podium as WMAA champions.

First row (L-R): Libby DeVeer, Principal Priscilla Fizer, Cassidy Fesmire, Shelby O’Neil, Erin Bentley and Anna Major. Second row: Abby McNulty, Sarah Cloud, Abby Cunningham, Tori Case, Anna Jahr, Marisa Chapman and Kristin Day. Third row: Christina Stauffer, Faith Vanston and Caitlin Murphy. Not Pictured: Maddie Gleason

“Woodland Middle School and Coach Winstead, Coach Sanford and I are so proud of this group of young ladies,” said head coach Darcy Ganick. “Their work ethic and dedication paid off as they ended the season with a record of 10-1. They were only scored on two times during the whole season.”

For this performance during the regular season, the varsity team earned the number one seed for the WMAA tournament. They faced a tough Brentwood opponent in the finals but came out victorious with a 1-0 win.

The Warrior girls soccer team presented their county championship plaque to WMS Principal Priscilla Fizer at a celebration party held at the school.

The GMS boys soccer team.

Congratulations are in order for the Grassland Middle School boys soccer team. They were crowned the Williamson Middle Athletic Association (WMAA) champions in December.

“Coach Eichner and I are especially proud of this year’s team for the way they ended the season,” said GMS head coach Russ Keller. “In order to win the WMAA tournament, we had to beat the only two teams we lost to in the regular season. This shows a lot of character and heart.”

Finishing the season with a record of 9-2, this is the third WMAA championship for the team in the past four years. The team defeated Sunset Middle 3-0 in the semifinals and Woodland Middle 3-2 in the finals.

Dozens of WCS students will compete in this year’s HOSA State Leadership Conference following their performance at the regional competition.

Students from four Williamson County high schools earned awards January 15 at the Lower Middle Tennessee HOSA Regional Conference at Columbia State Community College.

HOSA, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, is a national student organization that’s designed to promote opportunities in the health care industry and enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people.

The state leadership conference will be held March 22-24 in Nashville. Congratulations to the following students:

The 2015 IHS Football Team

The Independence High football team can add one more acclaim to an already impressive season: a national number one ranking by MaxPreps.

The football team was named number one in the medium schools football rankings after defeating Sevier County to win the Tennessee Class 5A State Championship on December 4. The team finished with an overall record of 15-0.

“The team had an amazing year,” said IHS head coach Scott Blade. “It is an honor to be named by MaxPreps as the number one medium sized school in the nation. With nearly 17,000 high schools in the United States playing football, this is quite a recognition for our program.”

Scott Blade

Coach Blade was also named MaxPreps Medium Schools Coach of the Year and Tennessee Titans Coach of the Year.

“To be recognized as the Coach of the Year is very humbling,” said Blade. “I was very fortunate to have a great team of assistant coaches to work with. Any time an honor like this comes around, it is a direct reflection of all of the hard work my assistants and all the support staff did to make this season come together. I am very thankful for all of them.”

Additionally, IHS senior wide receiver Nate Johnson was named to the MaxPreps Medium Schools All-American second team. The team also was selected as an honoree for the 11th Annual MaxPreps Football Tour of Champions presented by the National Guard.

A local eighth grader is among the winners of this year’s Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) American History Essay Contest.

Heritage Middle School student Connor Tharpe finished first among eighth graders in the Cumberland District. Tharpe is represented by the Brigadier General Richard Winn chapter of the DAR.

The American History Essay Contest was established to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation’s great history and learn about history in a new light. This contest is open to students in grades five through eight. Essays are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation and neatness.

For his win, Connor will receive a bronze medal and certificate. His essay will also advance to the state level.

Dozens of Williamson County Schools students are earning recognition for their artistic talents. The students are among this year’s recipients of the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Established in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s largest, longest-running, most prestigious visual and literary arts program symbolizing excellence and recognizing accomplishments of students in seventh through twelfth grades.

Awards given by the Scholastic Art & Writing awards include the American Vision Award, Gold Key Award, Silver Key Award and Honorable Mentions. The Gold Key recipients’ artwork will be displayed in Cheekwood’s exhibition Saturday, February 6 through Monday, March 7, and will be submitted to New York for national adjudication. National winners will be announced in March. The Silver Key winners art will be shown in a video at the Gold Key Exhibition.

WCS students receiving awards:

Gold Key Winners

Silver Key Winners

Honorable Mention:

Williamson County Schools honored its 2015-16 Employees of the Year January 21 at a special ceremony in Franklin. The district rolled out the red carpet and Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney thanked the employees for their service.

Each school selected a teacher to be recognized, and from there, the district selected a system-wide Teacher of the Year at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Elementary School Teacher of the Year

This year’s Elementary School Teacher of the Year is Lauren Baker of Clovercroft Elementary. Now in her eighth year with Williamson County Schools, Baker says she is motivated daily by her students.

“I enjoy being with the students,” said Baker, who teaches music at Clovercroft. “Seeing that love and response and especially watching them grow over six years is a true joy.”

Middle School Teacher of the Year

Grassland Middle school teacher Suzanne Lange was selected as the Middle School Teacher of the Year. She is in her eleventh year at GMS and says teaching has always been her passion.

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” said Lange. “I enjoy students, and I enjoy being part of their lives. I think middle school is that quirky time in a person’s life when they really need good teachers.”

High School Teacher of the Year

Ravenwood High School economics teacher Daniel Hollandsworth was chosen as the High School Teacher of the Year. Hollandsworth is also the head coach for the Ravenwood High School golf team.

“My favorite part of teaching is, and always has been, the chance I get to watch my students grow,” said Hollandsworth. “Many times, as an economics teacher, I get to challenge students’ ability to analyze information. My students never cease to amaze me in how they learn the material.”

Classified Employees of the Year

The district also honored its Classified Employees of the Year, which included everyone from teacher assistants to maintenance workers. Employees were nominated for the honor by their individual school or department.

This year’s winners are Chapman’s Retreat Elementary Special Education Teacher Assistant Linda Meese, Brentwood Middle Teacher Assistant Angie McKee and Page High Secretary Carrie Baker-Vitucci.

Elementary School Teachers of the Year

Valerie Black
Allendale

Melanie Dickson
Bethesda

Kim Pantall
Chapman’s Retreat

Laura Baker
Clovercroft

Vickie Brake
College Grove

Sybil Davis
Crockett

Summer Curry
Edmondson

Kim Martin
Fairview

Christy Summey
Grassland

Christina Woods
Heritage

Joye Ofner
Hillsboro

Elizabeth Brabson
Hunters Bend

Virginia Nix
Kenrose

Mary Beth Carroll
Lipscomb

Anna Milton
Longview

Sandra Nichols
Nolensville

Elizabeth Puryear
Oak View

Kathy Caudill
Pearre Creek

Shelly Wyllie
Scales

Barbara Gilmer-Smith, Sunset

Erin Boone
Trinity

Heidi Triggs
Walnut Grove

Amanda Wilson
Westwood

Mayree Edwards
Winstead

Middle School Teachers of the Year

Jacob Ray
Brentwood

Alfred Takop
Fairview

Suzanne Lange
Grassland

Deana Shappley
Heritage

Suzie Cooksey
Hillsboro

Elaine Capella
Page

Stacey DeBoe
Spring Station

Holly Clark
Sunset

Susan Blunt
Woodland

High School Teachers of the Year

Christie Feiler
Brentwood

Wade Roberts
Centennial

Valerie Willmore
Fairview

Ashley Flood
Franklin

David Swanson
Independence

Nicole Guertin
Page

Daniel Hollandsworth
Ravenwood

Emma Scanlon
Renaissance

James Cherry
Summit

Elementary School Classified Employees of the Year

Jason Koch
Allendale

Jackie Underwood
Bethesda

Linda Meese
Chapman’s Retreat

Dana Bauer
Clovercroft

Angie Goodman
College Grove

Lynnea Ragsag
Crockett

Janice Rayborn
Edmondson

Teresa Harris
Fairview

Lynne Hiskey
Grassland

Pat Miller
Heritage

Wendy Carnes
Hunters Bend

Sarah Beth Stephenson
Kenrose

Linda Reynolds
Lipscomb

Robin Cook
Longview

Vicki Oglesby
Nolensville

Dana Graveno
Oak View

Donna Lambert
Pearre Creek

Leigh Ann Touloeisani
Scales

Patty Blevins
Sunset

Teresa Barnett
Trinity

Christine Raley
Walnut Grove

Iona Tidwell
Westwood

Kim Haynie
Winstead

Middle School Classified Employees of the Year

Angie Mckee
Brentwood

Stephanie Hughes
Fairview

Nancy Tate
Grassland

Andrea Sadd
Heritage

Phoebe Davis
Hillsboro

Carol Cajka
Page

Shelby Waymaster
Spring Station

Susan Giangreco
Sunset

Peggy Rein
Woodland

High School Classified Employees of the Year

Melissa Gerlach
Brentwood

Barbara Marquardt
Centennial

Donna Lankford
Fairview

Tammy Adams
Franklin

Carol Quinn
Independence

Carrie Baker
Page

Evelyn Woodard
Ravenwood

Theresa Willis
Summit

Departmental Employees of the Year

Barbara Mayo
Prof. Developent Secretary
TLA
Central Office

Libby Poteete
Field Manager
Food Service

Jill Barber
Occupational Therapist
Student Support Services
Health Care Professional

Nick Lunn
Network Technician
IT

Kenny Solomon
Carpenter
Maintenance

Pamela Dockery
Field Manager
SACC

Michael Costik
Substitute Teacher

Robert Prine
Supervisor
Transportation

Brodey Hasty

Brentwood High sophomore Brodey Hasty can add a new award to his growing list of accomplishments: 2015-16 Gatorade Tennessee Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Hasty won the Division-I Class AAA individual Tennessee State Cross Country meet with a time of 15:35 and helped lead the Bruins to a state team title as well. He went on to win the Nike Cross National Southeast Championship with a time of 14:55.8 and placed seventh during the Nike Cross National Finals with a time of 15:15.5.

Hasty is the second Gatorade Tennessee Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Brentwood High School. BHS alumnus Sean Keveren won the award in 2008.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Hasty as Tennessee’s best high school boys cross country runner.

Dozens of Williamson County students will compete in this year’s Tennessee DECA Career Development Conference following their performance at the district conference.

DECA is an international organization that’s designed to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

Due to inclement weather, the district DECA competition was cancelled. Students tested prior to the district competition, and the winners were calculated based on their test scores.

This year’s Tennessee DECA Career Development Conference will be held March 3-5 at the Opryland Hotel. Listed below are the Williamson County students who qualified to attend: