Recognition

School wide

In Loving Memory of Mrs. Pat West

Frayser Elementary School would like to take this opportunity to recognize a very special lady dear to our hearts who passed away on November 21, 2007, Mrs. Pat West.  Mrs. West was the heart and soul of our school.  There never was a day that she did not mentor her colleagues or treat her students like her own.  Mrs. West began teaching 1st grade at Clinton P. Russell Elementary School  (Dallas, Texas) in 1960.  In 1961 she married and moved with her husband to Memphis.  In 1962 she began teaching for Memphis City Schools at Leroy Pope Elementary.  When Pope closed in 1972, she joined us here at Frayser Elementary.  She always taught 1st grade.  During her career she taught parents, their children, and even their grandchildren.  She retired from full time teaching in 1991 having accrued 28 years with MCS, 1 year DPS and 1 year sick leave accumulation for a total of 30 years.

  When Mrs. West retired, she took a few years off, tried substitute teaching for a year, then returned to Frayser in 1998 to work as an Administrative Assistant, and continued in that capacity until her death.  Some of her additional accomplishments included:

• Earned a Masters degree from the University of Memphis in Elementary Education
• Earned 18 hours in science in order to have a science lab at Frayser Elementary
• Conducted professional development sessions
• Presided over SAC’s Accreditation for Frayser Elementary in 1975, served on SAC’s steering committee until 1991, and continues to serve on the TSIPP Leadership Team
• Became a Career Ladder level three teacher the first year Career Ladder started (1985-86)
• Serves on Frayser Elementary’s Leadership Team
• Raised three children who all graduated from MCS schools, two of which are teachers

 Hats off to a wonderful lady who dedicated her life to education and the service of children.

2006 Blue Ribbon School of the Year

We were proud to be one of the first "Blue Ribbon Schools of the Year" along with Geeter Junior High School. This distinction is bestowed upon the elementary and secondary schools most successful in implementing the district's Blue Ribbon initiative. Fed Ex teamed up with MCS to reward these schools with a check for $5000.00 each to be used to support the school's behavior plan for the 2006-07 school year. A committee of PBIS coaches, academic superintendents and select members of the Superintendent's Leadership Team determined the winners based on data from the 2005-06 school year. These two schools met the following standards: improved student achievement; positive behavior plans (created and implemented); increased student attendance; student engagement; decrease in office referrals; teacher/staff, student,, parent, community support of the behavior plan; and positive and safe environment. We would like to thank everyone who made this honor possible.

AYP

We are working toward Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in Reading, Math, and Attendance.

Matinee Series Grant

Tiffany Matthews, PreK teacher, is the recipient of a Matinee Series Grant from the Orpheum Theatre.  With this grant, her students will attend a showing of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar on March 25, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.  As part of this grant, she will also receive $100 to go towards classroom materials.

Safe Routes to School Grant

We are a recipient of $250,000 for the State of Tennessee's Safe Routes to School grant to promote health and wellness among Tennessee children.  This is a statewide initiative designed to make bicycling and walking to school a safer, more appealing, and healthier alternative for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.  We will utilize the funds for signs, crosswalks and medians in the vicinity of the school and to provide an educational program focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety and for promotional activities to encourage walking and biking as a safe and healthy initiative.

Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Grant

We were a recipient of a 2006 Improving Literacy through School Libraries federal grant.  We received $7000 to purchase high interest, low vocabulary non-fiction books for the library, provide after school access to the library for our students, parents, and community, and increase the literacy of our students.

We The People Picturing America Grant

Dr. Janice Oliver, Library Media Specialist, has received this grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association for the 2007-2008 school year.  This grant supports projects that strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture.  Through this grant, our school will receive forty large-scale reproductions of American art, accompanied by a resource book containing background information on the images.  These posters will be displayed in the hall outside the Library Media Center and will be available for use in the classrooms.

Staff

Literacy Coaches

Several of our teachers, Ms. M. Easley, Ms. P. Jackson, and Ms. S. Caviness, are designated as Literacy Coaches through the Memphis Literacy Academy for Developing Master Reading Teachers and Principals sponsored by the Department of Instruction and Curriculum at the University of Memphis.   We have again been selected to participate in this program for the 2007-2008 school year.  Six teachers will be selected to take part in this endeavor.

Do More Than Expected Award

Each month faculty and staff nominate one member of the staff and one faculty member to be recognized for their contributions to our school.  Below are the staff members recognized in the 2007-2008 school year.

Adopters

High Five To All Our Adopters!

We want to thank all of our adopters for the wonderful support they have given us this year.  The saying "It takes a village to raise a child" is very appropriate at Frayser Elementary.  Everyone works together to make this the best school it can be.  With the help of all our friends in the Adopt-A-School program, we know, "Every child at Frayser Elementary, Every day is College bound".  Thank you.

Students

Special Program Features African American Heritage Stamp Collection

On February 27, Ms. Tosha Spears, Frayser Elementary guidance counselor, and four sixth grade students were invited to participate in the Federal Bureau of Investigation Memphis/U.S. Postal Services Annual Black History Commemoration.  Elijah A. from Ms. Tonya Bowles' class read a poem he had written for the occasion and was presented a commemorative First African American Heritage Stamp Collection.  The FBI is one of Frayser Elementary’s adopters.  Please click  on this link to read Elijah's poem.

2007-2008 Love My Library Card Contest

Congratulations to Chanelle D. in 3-01, Ms. Machen's class, for winning the Memphis Public Library's "Why I Love My Library Card" Contest for our school.  Chanelle will receive a book of her choice for her participation. A copy of the book she chooses will also be placed in our library and in the Frayser Branch Library.

2007-2008 Spelling Bee Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our Spelling Bee Contest held November 30.  First Place winner is Brianna J. in 4-04, Ms. Stinnet's class.  Second Place went to Joanna H. in 5th grade, and third place was Jerry B. in 5th grade.  Brianna will represent Frayser Elementary in the Memphis-Shelby County Spelling Bee to be held at a later date.  The winner of that contest will go on to the Mid-South Spelling Bee, then to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.  We are very proud of all the students who participated in our Spelling Bee and wish Brianna luck.

Parents/Community

Thank you for your support of our school.  We could not be successful without your help.