June 29, 2006

Bowling Coach Attempts World Records to Benefit Youth Foundation

Memphis, Tenn. - It's not everyday a new world record is set, but White Station High School bowling coach Michael Catlin will attempt to make history by toppling two world records in the same weekend July 15 - 16 at the Winchester Lanes bowling alley. Catlin will try to break the record for most bowling pins knocked down by one person on one lane in a 24-hour span. He'll also try to set a new world mark for most pins knocked down by a 12-person team on one lane.

Aside from the accomplishment of entering his name in the world record books, Catlin has set a goal for the weekend to raise $20,000 for the KCB Foundation, which is a grassroots organization started by Catlin and several partners to raise money to provide the coaching and equipment needed to help local underprivileged youth remain active in bowling leagues all the way through high school and hopefully earn athletic scholarships for college.

"The weekend is going to be a lot of fun," Catlin said. "The idea of breaking a couple of world records is pretty exciting. But my real mission here is to bring in the support I feel the kids in this city need to succeed in this sport at all levels. To reach that ($20,000) goal would be really special."

Catlin will take the lane for the first record attempt at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 15. The pins will continue to fall until 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 16. From noon - 4 p.m. each day, there will be a silent auction benefiting the KCB Foundation with assorted bowling memorabilia, professional equipment, beautiful artwork and various other items up for bid. One of the more rare items featured in the auction will be an autographed bowling pin from pro bowling star Walter Ray Williams' record-setting 41st PBA tournament win earlier this year. There are only 30 such pins in existence. In addition to the auction, 50 cents from every game purchased that weekend - except during cosmic bowling Saturday from 9:30 p.m. - 1 a.m. - will go directly to the KCB Foundation.

"We're really counting on the community to come out and have fun and to support this cause," Catlin said. "This foundation has come together to help kids stay in school and succeed in bowling. We believe that if we can give them the right tools and direction, then they can realize their dreams at a young age and create even more as they move through high school and onto college."

To learn more about the KCB Foundation, visit www.kcbfoundation.com. All donations made to the KCB Foundation or to the silent auction are greatly appreciated. Anyone interested in making a donation or sponsoring a bowler to benefit the foundation should contact Michael Catlin at 901-461-2240 or at mandt1116@yahoo.com.

June 28, 2006

Application Period for Open Enrollment Ends Friday, June 30

Memphis, Tenn. - The last day for parents to apply for a choice transfer of schools for their child through open enrollment will be Friday, June 30. Applications can be turned in between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. in the Office of Student Enrollment and Records, room 104 of the Board of Education building. Applications are available in the Office of Student Enrollment and Records, as well as on the district's Web site at www.mcsk12.net/Open-Enrollment.

Open enrollment allows all interested parents to choose a school for their child other than the one assigned by address if space is available. For more information about open enrollment, contact the Office of Student Enrollment and Records at 416-5830.

There are still a number of available spaces at many of the MCS Optional Schools. Transfer applications for Optional Schools will be accepted until the start of the 2006-07 school year in August. For more information about MCS Optional Schools, call 416-5338.

June 27, 2006

LOS ANGELES – The Broad Institute for School Boards announced today that it has trained 29 new school board members from 11 urban school districts across the country on how to improve school board governance in order to achieve dramatic increases in academic performance for all children.  The six-day training program was held in Park City, Utah, from June 10 through June 15.

Memphis school board members Stephanie Gatewood, Martavius Jones and Jeff Warren were among the 29 school board members who attended this year’s Broad Institute.  Other participating districts included:

The Broad Foundation, a Los Angeles-based education venture philanthropy, covered all expenses, including travel, training, lodging and meals.  The Broad Foundation partners with the Houston-based Center for Reform of School Systems to run the Institute.

“School board members who are keenly focused on how to improve student achievement, rather than on distracting issues like school paint color and bus schedules, can make decisions that truly allow students to succeed,” said Eli Broad, founder of The Broad Foundation.  “Too many school board members across the country do not know how to prioritize issues or ask the right questions to have an impact on learning.  The Broad Institute is designed to give them a ‘crash course’ in how to demand – and achieve – better student performance.”

During the session, school board members completed intensive work that included analyzing case studies on local reform efforts to improve education in:  Buffalo, N.Y., Houston, New Orleans, Oakland, Calif., Philadelphia, San Diego and St. Louis.  Additionally, they learned about policy development, civic involvement, district accountability, and how to ensure their board and district are designed to achieve dramatic increases in achievement for all children.

The Broad Institute’s faculty includes the following prominent national education leaders:  

           
“These school board members now have the tools and networks they need to challenge the status quo,” McAdams said.  “With this intensive training on successful efforts in other cities, these leaders are better prepared to improve education in their districts and close ethnic and income achievement gaps.”

Since 2002, The Broad Institute has trained 120 school board members from 32 school districts, representing 2.8 million school children.  Participation in the training is by invitation.

June 20, 2006

Tennessee Alternative Educators Association Hosts
2006 Summer Conference This Week

Memphis, Tenn. ñ The 2006 Tennessee Alternative Educators Association (TAEA) Summer Conference will take place all day Thursday and Friday, June 22-23, starting at 7:30 a.m. at the Memphis City Schools Teaching and Learning Academy. The theme for this year's conference is "Making a Difference, One Child at a Time."

Educators from across the state, along with members of the Tennessee Board of Education, representatives from a number of notable state learning agencies and several national speakers, will spotlight the practices that have made *alternative schooling one of the most successful approaches to helping students overcome behavioral issues and other distractions and achieve success in education.

Joris M. Ray, coordinator of alternative schools for MCS and regional representative of the TAEA Board of Directors, will serve as host for the Summer Conference. The scheduled keynote speaker is Mark Bounds, director of the South Carolina Department of Education. Bounds will share his stories and experiences that have impacted the lives of so many children over the years and made him one of the most respected professional educators in the country.

The TAEA Summer Conference will be preceded by the two-day Lion's-Quest "Skills for Action" workshop, which continues tomorrow from 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Teaching and Learning Academy. This free workshop will focus on teacher training in the service-learning methodology, which combines volunteer service with classroom instruction to develop positive student values in addition to ethical, social and intellectual skills. Service-learning is currently in use in one-third of all U.S. schools.

For more information about the Tennessee Alternative Educators Association (TAEA) Summer Conference or the "Skills for Action" workshop, contact the MCS Alternative Schools office at 416-2200.

*About MCS Alternative Schools

Memphis City Schools offers alternative schooling to students who have struggled with behavioral issues and other distractions in a traditional school setting. Alternative schools are designed to offer a learner-centered, nurturing environment where students have an opportunity to acquire the skills necessary to experience success on a daily basis. The student-teacher ratio is lower than that of a regular school classroom environment, and an extensive support staff including counselors, mental health personnel, motivational coordinators, etc. is regularly available. Last year, MCS Alternative Schools earned recognition for the best and most innovative alternative programs in the state of Tennessee.

Visit www.memphis-schools.k12.tn.us/schools/Alternative/index.htm for more information about MCS Alternative Schools.

June 19, 2006

Professional Preparation Program for MCS Teachers
Offered through MCS, University of Memphis Partnership

Teacher Leaders encouraged to attend June 27 meeting

The Leadership Scholars Program is designed to promote and support teacher leadership while enhancing the quality of the district’s Assistant Principal candidate pool.   Individuals who successfully complete the program will be awarded a Master’s degree in School Leadership and a beginning Administrative License for the State of Tennessee.  In addition, teachers who successfully complete the program will have priority status to enter the MCS Assistant Principals' pool.

The Office of the Deputy Superintendent and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction of Memphis City Schools, the University of Memphis and the Southern Regional Education Board will offer financial support for the program.

June 19, 2006

MCS Taking Learning to Next Level with Internet Podcasts

Memphis, Tenn.ñ Imagine children being able to plug in their iPods and hear their teacher's lecture when it's time to study for a quiz or learning about world history by touring a museum without having to leave their classroom. Sound a little too far-fetched? Well, in a tiny room known as the "Crow's Nest" at the Memphis City Schools Telecommunications Center on Union Avenue, a small team of tech experts are paving the way for such innovative learning opportunities to become reality. They're doing it through the use of podcasting technology, which is basically a way of delivering audio and video content to iPods or other portable media players and computers so that listeners can access it on demand at any time and from anywhere.

Recognizing that podcasting was fast becoming one of the most popular means of sharing information online, the MCS Instructional Technology team used what limited resources it had to begin dabbling in the field back in January. A few months later, the team used a laptop computer and a couple sets of headphones to produce a podcast for a student art competition that was taking place at the time. It featured some narration and music along with a series of still pictures of the artwork entered in the contest. It was nothing too fancy, but the team received quite a few compliments about the quality of the podcast, including one from a viewer in Australia. At that point, the potential power of this new learning tool became obvious.

"We were all pretty aware that we could reach a wide audience, but it was just amazing to see how far we really could go with podcasting," said Linda Eller, staff coordinator for the MCS Instructional Technology department. "We figured this would be a great way to let others know about all of the good things going on in our school district. It allows us to focus on what's happening at Memphis City Schools in a positive, powerful way, and once we get the kids involved we feel like the learning will just skyrocket."

Eller and her staff say their goal is to equip teachers and other MCS educators with the basic skills needed to produce podcasts at their own schools. Those podcasts would then be placed into one of four categories on the district's Web site: Curriculum & Instruction, World Language, Arts in the Schools and Instructional Technology. The Instructional Technology Department recently added a podcast directory to the MCS Web site with a number of selections in each category.

For a technology that only requires a computer, microphone and internet connection, Eller feels podcasting is most beneficial because it has the capacity to advance students' education beyond the classroom. For instance, the Instructional Technology staff is working with the Memphis Zoo on a series of podcasts that can be used in conjunction with classroom lessons. The first is a virtual tour of the new Northwest Passage exhibit.

One future podcast will include a "behind the scenes" look at how the animal exhibits are maintained and how the zoo keepers care for the animals on a daily basis. Another may be created in conjunction with the zoo's 100th anniversary and feature a history lesson on the zoo's past with pictures comparing its early days to today.

Projects produced by the Instructional Technology team, such as the zoo podcasts, will also be available to other schools and learning institutions. So considering that the Memphis Zoo is one of very few in the world with a panda exhibit, a panda podcast could serve as a valued educational tool for classes all over the country and the world.

"Podcasting is all about accessibility," Eller said. "Anyone with an mp3 player - like an iPod - or a computer can get our podcasts. We feel like this helps put our school district at the forefront of what's happening in regards to technology and gives us a greater educational purpose and a lot of power to communicate."

Jason Parrish, one of three tech coaches assisting Eller with the podcasts, said the possibilities are basically endless when it comes to podcasting.

"We can use the podcasts to cover almost anything that has to do with technology and education," Parrish said during an introductory podcast. "We might talk about technology integration ideas, offer computer tips or talk about interesting websites ... we're also open and welcome to ideas about what we should talk about."

All MCS podcasts are available on the Instructional Technology page of the MCS Website, www.mcsk12.net. They're recorded on an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feed, which means that anyone can subscribe to have their computers automatically download the podcasts from an RSS reader (i.e. iTunes) every time something new is uploaded. Currently, the podcasts are only being produced with audio and still pictures, but the team is adapting its software to be able to offer video as well in the very near future. There is also some talk within the department to make the podcasts available in several foreign languages to broaden the appeal.

The Instructional Technology team will be hosting a Principals Day on June 21 at the Telecommunications Center, Union and Hollywood, to show principals how to produce their own podcasts and how to use them to enhance the teaching and learning at their schools. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. It's sponsored by Apple Computers and will feature Tim Tyson, a principal from Marietta City Schools in Marietta, GA who has done great things for his school system with educational podcasts. Corey Harris, principal of Longview Middle School will lead a hands-on training session.

For more information about Principals Day, MCS podcasting or the MCS Instructional Technology Department, contact Linda Eller at 416-3651.

June 13, 2006

Former World Boxing Champ Lennox Lewis to Host
Reception for MCS Chess Team Thursday Night

Memphis, Tenn. - Former undisputed World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Lennox Lewis will be at American Way Middle School this week to host a reception for students on the Lennox Lewis Chess Team, as well as their families and Memphis City Schools administrators. The event will be held on Thursday, June 15 and will celebrate the hard work and success of the students involved over the past school year.

The Lennox Lewis Chess Team features students from American Way Middle School and Sheffield and Wooddale high schools. Lewis, an avid chess fan and a skilled player, adopted the team four years ago after meeting some members while in Memphis to defend his title against Mike Tyson. The team was already in place and successfully competing in tournaments at that time, and Lewis was so impressed that he decided to become their official sponsor. Since then, he's organized yearly training for students, coaches and grand masters, provided computers, software and other training tools and funded all of the team's travel expenses for local and national competitions.

"After playing with the students back in 2002, I knew I needed to assist with further developing their passion for the game," Lewis said. "Chess has been helpful in my career in improving my strategic thinking, and I wanted to provide an opportunity for these children to gain the same tools."

Lewis will be in Memphis through the end of the week as part of the broadcast coverage team for Saturday's title bout between middleweights Jermain Taylor and Winky Wright at FedExForum.

The Lennox Lewis Chess Team reception will start at 7 p.m. on Thursday. American Way Middle School is located at 3805 American Way.

June 7, 2006

Community Informational Carnival to apply for MCS’s NEW Optional School

A Community Informational Carnival will be held on Saturday, June 24th at First Baptist Church, 2849 Broad Ave. from 12 - 3 p.m. so parents can learn more about the district’s NEW optional school.  The school which has a focus on math, arts, science and technology is set to open in August of this year.

The Carnival will offer an on-site application process for parents and games, popcorn and prizes for the kids. 

The event is free, and it’s being sponsored by First Baptist Church, Early Grove Baptist Church and Memphis City Schools.

For more information, please call 416-5338.

June 1, 2006

Enrollment Underway at New Optional School

Memphis, Tenn. - A new optional elementary school will join Memphis City Schools when the 2006-07 school year begins in August, and there is still time left for parents to apply for enrollment.

The new school is built on nearly 10 acres of land on Sam Cooper Boulevard (2605 Sam Cooper Blvd.) near Overton Park and can accommodate up to 700 students in grades K-5. Math, Arts, Science and Technology make up the four educational cornerstones of the school, and the optional program offers parents the opportunity to provide expanded learning opportunities for their children.

The new school is sure to provide an engaging educational setting for incoming students, as Principal *Shonda L. Huery, along with school staff, is planning to partner with area businesses including the Memphis Zoo, Pink Palace Museum, Memphis College of Art and Ballet on Wheels in an effort to broaden students? awareness of learning beyond the classroom and to offer a well-rounded experience.

"The program we have established will provide students with a wealth of learning opportunities that will enable them to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, advocates for the Arts and responsible citizens who can compete in the global community," Huery said.

Parents can contact the Optional Schools office at 416-5338 to learn more about the available enrollment options at the new school and how to apply. Academic requirements and general information about MCS Optional programs is also available on the Web at www.mcsk12.net. Principal Huery can be reached at 416-4745.

Once open, the school will bring the total number of optional programs to 32 district-wide. Members of Memphis City School's Executive Leadership are currently working to create a name for the school that embodies its commitment to academic excellence and represents the historical significance of the community.

*Shonda L. Huery

Shonda L. Huery comes to Memphis City Schools with 10 years of educational experience as both a central office and school site administrator. She relocated to Memphis from Washington D.C. to support Superintendent Carol R. Johnson through Harvard University's Urban Superintendents Program, which Harvard established to develop teacher-leaders, school principals and other metropolitan education administrators into successful superintendents of nation's urban school systems.