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September 21st, 2021

Nationwide Food and Supply Shortages Impact Cafeteria Menus

The CMCSS Child Nutrition Department is being impacted by nationwide food and supply shortages. These shortages are creating unavoidable, last-minute menu changes and modifications to the serving trays and utensils. Menu selections may be further limited or altered. However, please know that students will continue to receive a free breakfast and a free lunch this school year. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these shortages.

Contact your student’s cafeteria manager with any questions regarding the school menu. For more information about Food Services, visit the Child Nutrition employee page.

 

Update September 29, 2021

During the September 28 CMCSS School Board meeting, Dr. Angela Huff, Interim Director of Schools addressed the board with information concerning the current supply shortage situation. In her remarks, Dr. Huff mentioned the following:

• Nationwide, high-volume shortages and supply chain disruptions are creating unavoidable, last-minute menu changes and modifications to serving trays and utensils. However, please note that complete, USDA-approved meals are still being served every day at no charge to students.
• With the shortages, non-conventional meal tray replacements are being implemented such as bagging all items without a tray. Menu selections may be unconventional, such as sides not matching traditionally with entrees or hamburger/hotdog buns being replaced with flatbreads, wraps, or crackers.
• Although the Child Nutrition Department has contracts with vendors, they are continuously exploring alternative suppliers and options. A major issue is that many vendors are not taking on new high-volume customers as they work to supply their current customers. For some, sourcing can be as simple as going to Kroger if Publix is out something they need. The District serves over 150,000 meals a week, so sourcing locally is generally not a viable option.
• The Child Nutrition Department will continue navigating the supply chain disruptions and shortages that have been making national headlines to ensure our students continue to be served USDA-approved meals each school day.
• As a reminder, CMCSS is not the agency which supplies P-EBT cards. The Tennessee Department of Human Services oversees the pandemic food benefits program.

September 19th, 2021

Face Mask Requirement

On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, the CMCSS School Board established a face mask requirement for students and employees indoors in CMCSS facilities when physical distancing is not possible. This requirement will be effective Monday, September 20, 2021, and will be revisited by the School Board at each monthly Formal School Board Meeting through January 11, 2022, when the requirement is set to expire. Parent(s)/guardian(s) can opt their child out of this requirement.

To streamline the opt-out process for parents/guardians and minimize the paperwork burden on employees, the Technology Department sent an electronic form to parents/guardians via text and email on Sep. 16. If you did not receive a customized electronic form for your child or had trouble accessing the form, you can complete the opt-out form linked here and return to your child’s school nurse. Please contact your child’s school if you need support with the opt-out process.

To access the CMCSS COVID-19 Dashboard, health and safety protocols, previous health and safety updates, and more, please visit ​​cmcss.net/covid19

June 9th, 2021

No Cost Curbside Meals for Summer 2021

The USDA approved for CMCSS to continue serving free curbside meal pick-up to all children 18 and under. The USDA stated that these free meals will be available through June 2022, or until funds run out.

Meals are available for all children 18 and under in Montgomery County, including children not enrolled in CMCSS schools.

Curbside meals will be available for pick-up at any of the traditional high school locations on Wednesday, each week, from 10:00 – 11:00 am. Families with multiple children can pick up all meals in one location. 

Children are not required to be present for curbside pick-up. The person picking up meals will need to provide the name of the child(ren) not present.

May 26th, 2021

11 CMCSS Schools Earn Purple Star School Award

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is proud to announce 11 schools in the district have been awarded the Tennessee Purple Star School Award. The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) Tennessee selected just eighteen schools across the state for this honor.

The Tennessee Purple Star School Award was designed to highlight military-friendly
schools that show a major commitment to serving students and families connected to
our nation’s military.

Military-connected families make up 30-percent of the CMCSS population. Strong supports for military-connected students is a focus for the district, as well as providing resources and opportunities for students to learn about our nation’s servicemembers.

To earn the Purple Star designation, schools must have a point of contact within the school that has completed a professional development component specific to the needs of military-connected students. The school website must contain a page that provides resources for military families. The school then chooses an additional activity that aligns with the school’s population and goals. To maintain the designation, the school must reapply every two years.

The following 11 schools were recognized in 2021:

Glenellen Elementary
Hazelwood Elementary
Kenwood Middle
Moore Magnet
New Providence Middle
Oakland Elementary
Rossview Elementary
West Creek Elementary
West Creek High
West Creek Middle
Woodlawn Elementary

Children in military families experience many challenges: transfers to multiple schools,
adapting to new environments, or a parent deployed to a war zone. Military-connected
children have needs that are different from other students. This program provides families a sense of relief that their child’s unique needs will be recognized.

In 2020, CMCSS had three schools that earned the Purple Star School Award – Ringgold Elementary, Rossview Middle, and Rossview High.

May 20th, 2021

Kenwood Middle School earns STEM Designation from TN Department of Education

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is proud to announce that Kenwood Middle School has received a STEM Designation from the Tennessee Department of Education. Kenwood is one of 13 schools across the state recognized in 2021. This will be the first CMCSS STEM-designated middle school, and the fourth school in the district to receive a STEM designation.

“STEM-based education helps prepare students for future success in both their academic education and in their careers,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Governor Lee and the department are committed to providing students with STEM learning experiences to enrich their education, and we are thrilled to see the number of the STEM-designated schools continue to grow.”

Kenwood’s focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) has propelled students to think critically and explore their world. Students are introduced to complex learning opportunities through coding, drone technology, electric cars, and more. Kenwood was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from the TVA to expand their drone initiatives.

“These students are our future,” said Dr. Marlon Heaston, Kenwood Middle principal. “Our future innovators, creators, and leaders. We are committed to providing them with the tools they need to achieve their potential.”

According to the TN Department of Education, each school awarded the Tennessee STEM School Designation was evaluated through a rigorous application process including a self-evaluation, interviews, and hosting site visits with the Tennessee STEM Designation review team. The determination is based on five focus areas: infrastructure, curriculum and instruction, professional development, achievement, and community and postsecondary partnerships.

As a part of the process, schools were required to submit a plan of action for implementing and sustaining STEM education for the next five years. Kenwood Middle students have the added advantage of continuing their transdisciplinary studies during high school, as Kenwood High is also a STEM-designated school.

“A STEM education is increasingly important as technology continues to grow and expand in Tennessee,” said State Sen. Bill Powers. “It provides powerful learning opportunities to students so they can compete for higher-paying, in-demand jobs. I am very proud of the work being done at all of these schools, especially Kenwood Middle School in my district, to achieve this designation. It is a tremendous investment in these students’ futures.”

May 11th, 2021

Jump Start 2021-22

Click Here for information and schedule. We look forward to seeing you!

April 8th, 2021

AHA Anti-Vaping Poster Contest Winners

6^th  Grade Kendall Holmes 1^st Starlit Tavarez 2^nd Zach Carpenter, Gunner Markum, Mitchell Creech, and Taraj Myree 2^nd

7^th Grade Nhara Gueco, Camren Gant and Hayden Jackson 1^st Tavasia Buckley 2^nd

8^th Grade Chyenne Widen 1^st Iyanah Irvine and Ethan Fendley 2^nd Kaitlyn Williamson, Tatianna Duggins 3^rd

April 7th, 2021

Kenwood Middle students learn coding as drones take flight

Students at Kenwood Middle School are preparing for the future as they engage in hands-on STEM learning opportunities. Inside Chad Ward’s Computer Literacy classroom, students explore the world of computer coding, drones, and robotics.

“We’re shifting our Computer Literacy class to include coding,” said Mr. Ward. “We’re using drones to introduce block coding and rhythmic coding.”

Armed with a drone, a yardstick, and their laptop, students mapped out their drones’ expected flight pattern inside the classroom. Colored squares on the floor provide indicators for the students to predict and program the drone’s movement.

“It takes a lot of work. You have to try,” said Cam’ron Dowell, a student in Mr. Ward’s class. “It’s aggravating at first, but once you figure it out, it feels good.”

Each student was assigned a specific space within the room and would input code to tell their drone to fly from one square to another. When they’re even a few inches away, they go back and revise the code to try again. “Problem-solving is one of the biggest things they learn,” said Mr. Ward.

“I want other students to know the class is really fun,” said Joshua Robinson. “It’s really fun to figure things out.”

Mr. Ward was awarded a TVA Grant through the Clarksville Department of Electricity. Additional funding allows the class to grow and expand, introducing additional opportunities for students. “The grant will offer us the ability to purchase more equipment,” said Mr. Ward. He plans to purchase everything from replacement parts to additional drones so more students can participate. “It will allow us the ability to expand the program. It’s a really great opportunity for students. There are a lot of jobs available with coding, and this gives them an introduction to what is available for college and career.”

April 5th, 2021

AVID 2021-22

Did you miss the deadline to apply for AVID? If you received information about AVID at KMS and missed the March 31^st deadline, you still have time to apply! Follow the link mentioned in the information packet and apply online by the end of next week.  Students must use their CMCSS information to log in.

March 31st, 2021

Power Mondays inspires middle school students with real-world conversations

The power of influence is at the core of Kenwood Middle School’s newest initiative, Power Mondays. With a focus on student motivation, the program brings in guest speakers who share their testimony each week. Power Mondays provide a real-world conversation about setting goals, staying inspired, and making choices.

“Our plan is to invite guest speakers who have a testimony that will empower and inspire our young male and female students,” said Dr. Timothy Grant, At-Risk Coordinator at Kenwood Middle. While the program is open to all students, the primary focus is reaching those students at-risk. Dr. Marlon Heaston, Principal at Kenwood Middle, and Dr. Grant worked together to develop a vision focusing on “entrepreneurship, leadership, parenting, relationships, community development, and more.”

Since the program began on March 15, an average of 40 students have attended each week, hearing from leadership within the school, Austin Peay football players and staff, and members of the Clarksville Police Department and Clarksville Fire Rescue. Upcoming speakers include local government officials and administrators from post-secondary institutions. Community leaders can volunteer to speak with students by contacting Dr. Grant.

For a middle school student, influence presents itself in all forms. For at-risk young men of color, daily life pressures are a continuous threat to their educational journey. These conversations with men of influence allow students to see opportunities where they previously did not exist.

During the March 29 event, Clarksville Fire and Clarksville Police officers shared their personal journeys, relating to students through life experiences. They shared stories about hanging out with the ‘wrong crowd,’ growing up as a military child, gun violence, and having family members in prison. The more the speakers shared, the more the students began to engage.

“The purpose of telling my story is two reasons,” said Kevin Finch, District Chief with Clarksville Fire. “One, there were people in my life who cared about me. Sometimes I didn’t even recognize it. You have those people, too. Two, I may not know what you’re going through, but I know you have the ability to make choices. Only you can decide the right path or the wrong path.”

Clarksville Police officers spoke candidly about the power of relationships. As they explored the impact of education, the students were asked about their career plans. While most students aspired to be professional athletes, the officers encouraged them to think deeper. “Everyone wants to live the fast life,” said one officer. “Live a life that means something.” The group then engaged in a candid discussion exploring students’ relationships and perceptions with law enforcement.

Kenwood Middle School leaders are determined to empower students to invest in their future.
Ultimately, each speaker emphasized this mission and the power of choice. Michael Rios, Assistant Fire Chief, said, “It’s hard to make the right choice, but there’s always something inside you telling you what’s right.”

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