August
31, 2005
Memphis
City Schools
to Aid Victims
of Hurricane
Katrina
Homes,
schools, communities
and families have
been tossed to
the winds along
the Gulf Coast,
and Memphis City
Schools is opening
its arms and doors
to extend much-needed
assistance to victims
of Hurricane Katrina.
In
a meeting with
Memphis Mayor Willie
Herenton and other
city leaders who
have formed a Task
Force to find ways
to provide assistance
to individuals
and families displaced
by Hurricane Katrina,
Superintendent
Carol Johnson and
Board President
Wanda M. Halbert
announced that
Memphis City Schools
is offering to
the Red Cross and
the Shelby County
EMA its four closed
schools – Locke
Elementary, Walker
Elementary, Stafford
Elementary and
Dunn Elementary
– as shelters
for displaced families
from New Orleans
and other devastated
areas along the Gulf
Coast.
The
destruction of
homes and communities
in Louisiana, Mississippi
and Alabama will
prevent many families
from returning
to their homes
for many weeks,
even months. Some
will have no home
to which they can
return.
Offering
its four closed
schools to be used
by the Red Cross
as shelters to
Katrina victims
is just a way the
Memphis City Schools
is trying to help.
Displaced
parents with school-age
children who are
staying in Memphis
also will have
the opportunity
to enroll their
children in school,
giving the children
the chance to keep
up with their grade
levels and to regain
a sense of normalcy
in a confusing
time.
“It
is our responsibility
to help our neighbors
who are in need
during this difficult
time, and we want
to ensure that
children receive
the help they need
by being allowed
to continue their
education,” said
Board President
Wanda M. Halbert.
Dr.
Johnson pointed
out that while
the victims of
Hurricane Katrina
need food, clothing
and shelter, the
educational needs
of the children
should not be overlooked.
Memphis
City Schools has
set up a special
hotline for displaced
families with school-age
children. By calling
the Education Services
Hotline, 416-2100,
families with children
who need to be
enrolled in school
will be able to
find out about
various options
available to them,
including special
education needs.
Because of the
dire situation
that many families
are facing and
will continue to
face over the coming
months, Memphis
City Schools will
not require any
documentation,
such as proof of
Memphis residency
or transcripts,
for the displaced
children to enroll,
however, MCS is
asking that families
provide something
that indicates
where they are
coming from. MCS
will be flexible
in regards to this
information. Memphis
City Schools is
coordinating this
effort with the
Shelby County Schools
and the Catholic
Diocese of Memphis.
Dr.
Johnson received
special permission
from Tennessee
Department of Education
to use funds to
provide educational
support for the
students who are
now in Memphis.
Memphis
City Schools
Seeks School
Supplies for
Schoolchildren
Displaced by
Katrina
Written
by: Deborah W.
Baker, bakerd@mcsk12.net
To
assist schoolchildren
who have fled with
their families
from hurricane-ravaged
areas of Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama
and Florida, Memphis
City Schools is
seeking donations
of basic school
supplies, as well
as cash donations
to provide supplies
and uniform clothing
for the students.
The
Technology Center
of Southwest Tennessee
Technical College
has provided a
large truck to
the school district
to use in collecting
school supplies
for the children
who are now enrolling
in the Memphis
City Schools. The
truck is parked
in front of the
Memphis City Schools
Administration
Building, located
at the corner of
Hollywood and Avery.
Collection
hours today and
next week are 7:30
a.m. –
5:30 p.m., Tuesday– Friday.
Because of the large
number of children
anticipated to enroll
next week, the collection
hours are being extended
to allow Saturday
donations of supplies
and uniforms. Items
may be dropped off
at the collection
truck Saturday, Sept.
2 from 8 a.m. – noon.
Registration of displaced
children will also
take place at the
Memphis City Schools
Board of Education
Auditorium on Saturday
from 8 a.m. –
noon, and next week,
Tuesday through Friday,
from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30
p.m. (Suggested
supply items listed
on separate page).
“
I urge all Memphians
to support these
efforts by the
Memphis City
Schools to help
the children
in these families,” said
Anabell Turner,
president of
the Memphis Council
PTAs. “We
want them to
feel encouraged,
to feel hope.
They need our
help.”
Memphis
City Schools, along
with parochial
schools and Shelby
County Schools,
have invited those
children whose
families are now
in the Memphis
area to register
and enroll in school.
Memphis City Schools
has set up an Education
Services Hotline
(901-416-2100)
to answer questions
parents may have
about enrollment.
The hotline is
manned from 7:45
a.m. – 5
p.m. weekdays.
“
We want to make this
as simple and
easy as possible
for these families
to get their
children back
in school,” said
Dr. Carol R.
Johnson.
“Their lives
have been completely
disrupted, and it
is important that
they get back into
school as soon as
possible. We realize
that many of these
families have few
resources to provide
school supplies and
uniforms, so we are
asking the community
to help us address
the need that exists
right here in Memphis.
These children and
their families are
now part of our community,
and we must help
them.”
Memphis City Schools,
under the federal
McKinney-Vento Act*,
is waiving its usual
residency requirements
and other paperwork
in order to enroll
any child displaced
by the hurricane.
All that a parent
or guardian needs
to enroll his or
her children in the
Memphis City Schools
is something that
shows the parent’s
place of residence
prior to Hurricane
Katrina, such as
a driver’s
license or a personal
check. Even if those
items are not available,
the school district
will work with the
parent to get the
child enrolled in
school.
Memphis
City Schools wants
to provide school
supplies and vouchers
for a school uniform
to all displaced
students when they
register.
The
school district
has also set up
a disaster relief
fund to help displaced
families of Hurricane
Katrina. A special
account has been
set up at Tri-State
Bank, and funds
collected will
be used to assist
families who have
relocated to Memphis
because of the
hurricane. Persons
who wish to contribute
to the fund may
bring their check
or cash to any
Tri-State Bank
or to the Memphis
City Schools Communications
& Public Affairs
office, room 208,
at the district’s
administration building,
corner of Hollywood
and Avery, during
normal business hours,
or send by mail to:
MCS Disaster Relief
Fund, Memphis City
Schools, Room 208,
2597 Avery, Memphis,
TN 38112.. Checks
should be made payable
to: MCS Disaster
Relief Fund. If making
a contribution at
one of the Tri-State
Bank branches, indicate
that the contribution
is for the MCS Disaster
Relief Fund.
For
more information,
call Communications
and Public Affairs,
Memphis City Schools,
416-5628.
*The McKinney-Vento
Act defines “homeless
children and
youth” (school-age
and younger)
as: “Children
and youth who
lack a fixed,
regular, and
adequate nighttime
residence, including
children and
youth who are:
sharing the housing
of other persons
due to loss of
housing, economic
hardship, or
a similar reason,” and
the Tennessee
Department of
Education has
instructed that
children rendered
homeless by the
hurricane must
be enrolled immediately
(even without
academic or medical
records).
MCS
Hurricane Relief – Supply
Drive
Items
Needed:
#2
pencils
crayons
markers, assorted
colors (washable)
pocket folders with
brads
pocket folders without
brads
dry erase markers
Fiskars-type blunt
end scissors
backpacks
rulers
glue sticks
bottled school glue
Ziploc-type freezer
bags (both quart
and gallon size)
tissues
Sharpie markers
paper towels
liquid antibacterial
soap
spiral notebooks
writing tablets (D’Nealian
for kindergarten,
first, and second
grade)
pencil sharpener
with cover
plastic pencil box
steno pads
hand held calculators
loose leaf notebook
paper (wide-ruled
and college-ruled)
dividers (tab)
pocket dividers
3-ring binders
colored pencils
pens (red, blue,
black)
mechanical pencils
with erasers
erasable ink pens
report covers
highlighters
floppy disks
tape
index cards (ruled)
pocket dictionary
pocket thesaurus
stapler
erasers
white copy paper
pencil pouch
Uniforms – white
collared shirts or
blouses, such as
unisex Polo type
Pants or skirts – navy,
black or khaki tan
August
19, 2005
State
Awards Voluntary
Pre-K Grant
to Memphis;
26
High-Quality Classes
Available to City’s
Four-year-olds
Through
the leadership
of Governor Phil
Bredesen and support
from both the Tennessee
House of Representatives
and the Senate,
the Voluntary Pre-K
for Tennessee Act
of 2005 was established
and will allow
for 300 new quality
pre-kindergarten
classes throughout
the state, with
26 of them in the
City of Memphis.
The
Voluntary Pre-K
for Tennessee initiative
is to provide for
Tennessee’s
four-year-old children,
with the first
priority to those
four-year-olds
who are at-risk,
an opportunity
to develop school
readiness skills
in an environment
that fosters the
joy of learning
and promotes success
in kindergarten
and throughout
the child’s
life.
The
law provides for
the use of $25
million in excess
lottery dollars
to establish quality
pre-kindergarten
classrooms through
a competitive grant
process. Memphis
City Schools applied
for, and received,
one of the grants
and is working
in partnership
with 10 of the
city’s three-star-rated
childcare centers
to implement the
pre-K program this
fall for four-year-olds
in Memphis.
“We
are extremely pleased
to be able to partner
with others in
the community to
provide equal access
to high quality
pre-kindergarten
education,”
said Dr. Carol Johnson,
Superintendent of
Memphis City Schools. “”We
are committed to
working together
with our partners
to raise the level
of school readiness
for the children
in Memphis. We know
that high-quality
early childhood education
helps all children,
regardless of their
family’s income
or family background,
to develop better
language skills,
score higher in school-readiness
tests and come to
school much better
prepared for learning.”
According
to Dr. Linda Kennard,
Memphis City Schools
Early Childhood
Director, a broad
spectrum of corporate
and community early
childhood education
advocates, including
childcare directors,
are instrumental
in implementing
the Voluntary Pre-K
program in Memphis.
This Pre-K Advisory
Council is responsible
for guiding the
implementation
of the Voluntary
Pre-K initiative.
Kennard
stressed that the
program is for
all children who
live in the geographic
area of Memphis
City Schools. “Whether
parents choose
one of the partner
childcare center
sites, or whether
they choose one
of the Memphis
City Schools sites,
the program is
designed to promote
growth in academic
and social skills,
and we know the
benefits of the
program can affect
and improve the
chances of success
throughout their
lifetimes,” Kennard
stated.
In
addition to the
collaborative partnership
with the 10 private
early childhood
centers, Memphis
City Schools will
add a pre-K classroom
at 16 of its elementary
schools. (Sites
listed on separate
page). Together,
the MCS educators
and partner centers
will be able to
provide equal access
to high-quality
pre-K education
to four-year-olds
across the city,
with priority given
to those who are “at-risk”
academically or because
their families are
economically disadvantaged.
Parents
interested in the
program should
know that:
