DeKalb County Schools Set to Reopen August 3rd in the Traditional Manner

June 16, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Barring a surge in the COVID-19 numbers locally, DeKalb County students are expected to return to the classrooms on August 3.

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps has announced that Monday, August 3 is the date for the reopening of schools in DeKalb County and it will be done in the traditional manner (all students, all teachers, all day) although protocols will be observed to help protect the health and safety of students and school staff.

The decision was made after an online parent survey conducted by the school district last week. Faced with three options for reopening, Cripps said the traditional manner was the most preferred over remote learning or a blended method of traditional and remote learning.

“We sent the survey out and it confirmed what we had already been hearing by word of mouth. Parents want us to get back in school. That was predominant on the survey. Get back to normal. There is nothing like a child sitting in front of a teacher to learn. That computer cannot take the place of the student-teacher relationship,” said Director Cripps during a Board of Education work session last Thursday night.

“At this time, we believe the large majority of DeKalb families want their children in a classroom with a teacher when school opens August 3. Together, we will work toward that goal. Our partnership with parents and this community is built on trust and we fully intend to support that relationship throughout the process by sharing information in the most transparent and honest way possible.”

Operating schools the old fashion way, however will pose challenges.

“There are precautions we will have to put in place for us to get back in school. We have at least three challenges with students on buses, lunch rooms, and hallway traffic. We are devising a plan for what that is going to look like,” said Cripps.

Parents fearful of having their child ride a school bus are free to bring them to school.

“The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended seating one child per seat on a bus, every other row but there is no way we could ever do that. We are short of bus drivers anyway. If we did that for a 90 passenger bus we would have to run four routes to get them (students) there in the morning. That would break us. Its not happening. I will encourage parents to bring their kids to school if they don’t feel comfortable with them riding the bus. We will provide our bus drivers with hand sanitizer and masks. The state has said they are going to send us 3,000 masks. We are looking at purchasing additional masks for kids if they want to wear them. We can’t make kids wear them. It is just suggested. We are also purchasing pretty nice masks for our staff. We have been in contact with a company to hopefully buy hand sanitizer by 300 gallon barrels. We will use some of our federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES ACT) money to buy personal protective equipment (PPEs) and cleaning materials for every day classroom usage,” said Cripps.

Before entering the schools, students must submit to temperature checks.

“One of the challenges we will be facing is at bus drop offs when all the kids are coming in at the same time which may cause delays in the start of classes each day. The state is telling us that we will have to check every kid’s temperature before they enter the building. What we will probably do especially during parental pickup and drop off is take the children’s temperature before they get out of the car. For the buses, we will have somebody outside zapping their foreheads (taking temperatures). The Governor has said we will be getting over 70 thermometers (one for every 40 students),” said Director Cripps.

As far as the school day, Cripps said plans are to put in place operational procedures (regarding social distancing and other concerns) which haven’t been finalized yet. “We don’t plan to do anything radical but when they get in the classrooms our idea is for the students to all face in one direction and not be talking in small groups. We may also stretch out the lunch periods and not have as many students eating at the same time. Students will be instructed to wash their hands before and after lunch. We plan to open up windows more often at the school buildings to let them air out and school buses will have to be cleaned after every morning and afternoon route,” Cripps continued.

In the event DeKalb County Schools should again return to remote student learning from home, the district will be ready for it.

“Every student in the school system will get a 1:1 device (computer) to take home. We will expect our teachers to not only communicate with our parents digitally but be prepared to assign lessons through the Ingenuity platform we hope to purchase with the CARES Act money,” said Cripps.

Unlike this past school year, the school district will use the same digital platform for all grade levels.

“Survey respondents (parents) said they wanted one platform they can use to communicate with teachers. This past year DCHS used Google Classroom while the elementary schools used Seesaw or Dojo. Parents with students in more than one school found themselves trying to keep up with too many platforms. This year we will do a solid platform and everybody will use the same one across the district to make it easier for parents,” said Cripps.

What will be the trigger to close schools again if the pandemic gets worse?

“The state has not told us anything. We will have to be lenient during these times if someone does get COVID 19 but right now we don’t know how many cases it will take for us to shut down school,” added Cripps.

Should the pandemic force it, the school district could revert to a blended traditional and remote learning option in which students would follow a staggered schedule for working at school and home in order to reduce the number of students in school buildings (due to social distancing concerns) on a given day. Teachers would follow a full day schedule helping students complete class work from both remote locations and in school.

“What a blended method would probably look like is students whose last names begin with the letters “A” through “M” would more than likely go to school on Mondays and Tuesdays while students whose last names begin with the letters “N” through “Z” would go to school on two other days, possibly Wednesdays and Thursdays and then we would have a day of planning for our teachers and a day of schools cleaning by our custodial staff. That doesn’t mean students would not be doing anything the three days they aren’t in school. They would still be required to work from home on their computers. We would only go to this blended method if the (COVID-19) numbers start ticking up,” said Cripps.

Should the pandemic get even worse, the school district would close again and renew remote learning in which teachers and students would work remotely from home using their 1:1 devices.

“When we get back in school our number one priority is for teachers to get to know their students and find out what kind of technology they have at home as far as Internet and practice the Ingenuity platform with the students so they know how to access it and operate it,” said Cripps.

Over the summer parents will be asked to participate in a class to better educate them on using the digital Ingenuity platform and to practice its operation with their children.

“We are going to offer a class for parents this summer and they will have to watch this (slideshow presentation) before computers are issued to their children to take home. The class will teach them how to access Ingenuity and how to communicate with their child’s teacher and to take advantage of other services we plan to offer,” said Cripps.

June 15, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Anna Chew was the top scholarship award winner during Monday night’s Class of 2020 Awards Night program.

(Click Link Below to View Class of 2020 Photos)

https://www.wjle.com/graduation-2/

Chew, the Class Valedictorian, received almost $100,000 in scholarships including $94,000 from Trevecca Nazarene University where she will play golf, the largest announced single award of the night. She also received the General Assembly Merit Scholarship for $4,000.

(Video Below Courtesy of DTC Channel 3)

Several other students received sizeable scholarships including Megan Walker, who will attend Trevecca Nazarene University on a $70,000 softball scholarship. She also received a $1,000 Clyde Thomas family trust scholarship. Bill Miller will be getting a $67,000 soccer scholarship from Milligan College.

The following students will be enlisting in the US Military including Tristan McDerman- US Marine Corps, Riley Sutton-US Navy, and Erin Mitchell- US Air Force. Although it was not announced what they might receive military enlistments often come with large financial rewards.

Scholarships also went to Holly Evans and Elizabeth Guinn and they were recognized for already having completed two years of college at Motlow State Community College through the dual enrollment program. They both earned an Associate Degree in Science before completing high school.

The names of 60 scholarship and other award recipients from the Class of 2020 at DeKalb County High School were announced during the Awards program broadcast Monday night, June 15.

The program was recorded Wednesday, June 10 at the DCHS cafeteria.

Making the award announcements were DCHS Principal Randy Jennings, Assistant Principal Jenny Norris, and DCHS Staff members Lori Myrick, Shelly Painter, Walteen Parker, and Tera Mooneyham.

No students were present due to COVID-19.

Scholarship awards are listed below for the following students in alphabetical order by last name:

Connor Adcock: Tennessee Tech University Golden Opportunity Scholarship-$6,000, DeKalb County School Board Members Scholarship-$700

Cody Antoniak: Gene Haas Foundation Scholarship-$1,000

Canaan Bain: MTSU Football Multimedia Scholarship-50% of tuition plus books (sophomore year), 100% tuition plus books (junior year), and 100% tuition plus books, meals, and room (senior year)

Blake Barnes: MTSU Football Multimedia Scholarship-50% of tuition plus books (sophomore year), 100% tuition plus books (junior year), and 100% tuition plus books, meals, and room (senior year)

Nicholas Birmingham: Belhaven University Academic Scholarship-$44,000, Full Tuition Dance Scholarship, Tennessee Governors School for the Arts

David Bradford: Gene Haas Foundation Scholarship-$1,000

Meghan Brandt: Smithville Rotary Club Math Award-$100, UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$32,000, General Assembly Merit Scholarship-$4,000, State of Tennessee Ned McWherter Scholarship-$24,000

Chloe Braswell: Tennessee Tech University Golden Opportunity Scholarship-$12,000

Haden Burton: Family Medical Center-$250, Woodmen Life US History Award-$50

Anna Chew: Valedictorian, Trevecca Nazarene University Scholarship (Golf)- $94,000, American Legion Girls State representative, Motlow State Community College National Honor Society for Leadership Success & Phi Theta Kappa Honor, General Assembly Merit Scholarship-$4,000

Caden Close: Tennessee Tech University W. Doyle and Melford Smith Scholarship- $2,500, Alan Hooper Memorial-$500, DeKalb County Cattlemen’s Association Scholarship in honor of Kenneth Young and Calvin Jones-$500, DeKalb County Soil Conservation District-$500

Emme Colwell: Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital-$500, Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship and Vice Presidents Residential Life Grant-$13,000, UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$12,000

A.J. Crips: DCHS Student Government Association-$100, Liberty State Bank-$500, Dailey & Vincent Scholarship-$1,200

Clayton Crook: DeKalb County Cattlemen’s Association Scholarship in honor of Kenneth Young and Calvin Jones-$500, Jo Ellen Huffman and Ron Rogers Memorial 4-H Scholarship-$500

Isaac Cross: Tennessee Wildlife Officers Association Scholarship-$200, Tennessee Tech University Athletic Scholarship (Football)- Full Tuition 4 years, Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship and Vice Presidents Residential Life Grant-$13,000, Love Cantrell Funeral Home-$500, Clay Edwards Memorial Tiger Pride Scholarship-$1,000

Jadyn Dawson: Clyde Thomas Family Trust Scholarship-$1,000

Justise Dawson: Clyde Thomas Family Trust Scholarship-$1,000

Myla Dilligard- Scottish Rite- $1,000, Smithville Business & Professional Women’s Club-$500

Holly Evans: Salutatorian, 3.21 Run for Down Syndrome Awareness-$250, Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship and Vice Presidents Residential Life Grant-$13,000, Motlow State Community College Summa Cum Laude & Presidential Honor, Motlow State Community College Associates Degree, UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$20,000, General Assembly Merit Scholarship-$4,000

Mackenzie France: Cumberland University- Full Tuition Scholarship

Kiersten Griffith: Smithville Rotary Club-$750, MTSU Presidential Scholarship-$18,000, UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$20,000, General Assembly Merit Scholarship-$4,000

Elizabeth Guinn: Clyde Thomas Family Trust Scholarship-$1,000, Motlow State Community College Associates Degree

Jaley Hale: Lucille Stewart Educational Award-$2,000, Dailey & Vincent Scholarship-$1,200,DCHS BETA Club Scholarship-$500.

Peyton Harris: DeKalb County Emergency Services Association-$500

Elijah Hensley: AmVets Post #101 and Amvets Post #101 Ladies Auxiliary- $500

Sophia Hoffman: Cumberland University & Custom Packaging- Full Tuition Scholarship after TN Promise

Braedon Jett: American Legion Boys State representative, Lucille Stewart Educational Award-$2,000, Kyle & Kenny Robinson Memorial-$1,000

Jacob Johnson: Motlow State Community College Academic Service Scholarship-$4,000

Joseph Johnson: Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship and Vice Presidents Residential Life Grant-$13,000, UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$12,000

Karley Knowles: Mentors Association Scholarship-$5,000

Katherine Malone: DCHS Class of 1966 Scholarship-$500, Eddie Crips Memorial-$1,000, Southern Landscape Supply/Diamond 9 Sports Student Athlete Scholarship- $500, Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship and Vice Presidents Residential Life Grant-$13,000, UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$12,000

Raiden Martin: Family Medical Center-$250, Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship-$12,000, Tennessee Tech University Tommy Burks Memorial Endowed Business Scholarship-$500, UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$12,000, and the FBLA Bill Radcliff Scholarship in the amount of $500.

Hannah McBride: DCHS Student Government Association-$100, Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship-$16,000, General Assembly Merit Scholarship-$4,000

Tristan McDerman: US Marine Corps Enlistment

Bill Miller: Milligan College- $67,000 (Soccer Scholarship)

Caitlin Milligan: US Air Force Society General Henry H. Arnold Scholarship-$4,000, DCHS Student Government Association-$100, MTSU Presidential Scholarship-$18,000, Daughters of the American Revolution-Good Citizen Award & Caney Fork Chapter Essay Winner-$50

Erin Mitchell: Us Air Force Enlistment

Terry Mitchell: Tennessee Tech University Golden Opportunity Scholarship-Undisclosed Amount

Alan Munoz: DeKalb County School Board Members Scholarship-$700, Officer Joe Bowen Memorial Scholarship-$1,500

Ricky Pack: Clyde Thomas Family Trust Scholarship-$1,000, MTSU Presidential Scholarship-$18,000, Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship and Vice Presidents Residential Life Grant-$13,000, DeKalb County Cattlemen’s Association Scholarship in honor of Kenneth Young and Calvin Jones-$500, UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$20,000, General Assembly Merit Scholarship-$4,000

Kayley Padilla: Clyde Thomas Family Trust Scholarship-$1,000, MTSU Frank & Esther Crosslin Scholarship-$2,000, UT-Chattanooga Moccasins Scholarship-$12,000

Madison Paladino: Tennessee Tech University Golden Opportunity Scholarship-$12,000

Daniel Puckett: UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$32,000, General Assembly Merit Scholarship-$4,000, State of Tennessee Ned McWherter Scholarship-$24,000, National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Student

Jake Ramsey: UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship-$12,000, DeKalb County School Board Members Scholarship-$700

Rachel Rhody: Family Medical Center-$250, MTSU True Blue Scholarship-$8,000, Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital Physicians-$500

Cody Robinson: Eagle Scout

Hunter Robinson: Gene Haas Foundation Scholarship-$1,000

Mya Ruch: First Bank-$500, 3.21 Run for Down Syndrome Awareness-$250, Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship and Vice Presidents Residential Life Grant-$13,000, Coach Jerry Foster Memorial Scholarship-$500, DCHS BETA Club Scholarship-$500.

Elisabeth Saylors: Sullivan University Junior Chef Competition Scholarship- $16,000, Smithville Rotary Club Vocational Award: $100

Benjamin Snipes: Mentors Association Scholarship-$5,000

Logan Speaks: Clyde Thomas Family Trust Scholarship-$1,000

Shelby Sprague: DCHS Hosa Club Scholarship-$500

Riley Sutton: US Navy Enlistment

Alley Sykes: Tennessee Tech University Golden Opportunity Scholarship- Undisclosed Amount, Kyle & Kenny Robinson Memorial-$1,000, Officer Joe Bowen Memorial Scholarship-$1,500

Christian Trail: Upper Cumberland Association of Realtors-$250, Officer Joe Bowen Memorial Scholarship-$1,500, Alexandria Lions Club, $1,000.

Conner Vaughn: Yates Services Scholarship-$4,000, DeKalb Fishing Team Scholarship-$250, Gene Haas Foundation Scholarship-$1,000

Megan Walker: Trevecca Nazarene University Scholarship (Softball)- $70,000, Clyde Thomas Family Trust Scholarship-$1,000, Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital-$500

Harper Wallace: Karen Jacobs Memorial Scholarship in Education-$1,000, General Assembly Merit Scholarship-$4,000

Justin Washer: Smithville Rotary Club- $750, First Bank- $500, MTSU Presidential Scholarship-$18,000, MTSU Nissan Road to Success Scholarship-$12,000, Southern Landscape Supply/Diamond 9 Sports Student Athlete Scholarship- $500, Tennessee Tech University High Flyers Scholarship-$12,000, Tennessee Tech University Louis Johnson Endowed Scholarship in Business-$1,000

Jadyn Young: Clyde Thomas Family Trust Scholarship-$1,000, Love Cantrell Funeral Home-$500

Meanwhile twenty students in the DCHS Class of 2020 have met all requirements for becoming a Tennessee Scholar.

The Tennessee Scholars program encourages students to take a more rigorous and challenging course of study in high school. Students graduating as Tennessee Scholars have to maintain good academic, disciplinary, and attendance standards as well as volunteer performing at least 80 hours of community service. Tennessee Scholars also choose to take rigorous courses beyond what is required to graduate.

Janney & Associates CPAs have generously provided the Tennessee Scholars Medals again this year.

The following students have met all requirements for the Tennessee Scholars Program: Conner Adcock, Peyton Bowman, Meghan Brandt, Anna Chew, Dallas Cook, A.J. Crips, Holly Evans, Peyton Harris, Braedon Jett, Grace King, Katherine Malone, Hannah McBride, Bill Miller, Madison Paladino, Daniel Puckett, Jake Ramsey, Mya Ruch, Ben Snipes, Christian Trail, and Justin Washer.

June 15, 2020
By:

The military veterans of the Alexandria Senior Center celebrated Flag Day on Monday, June 15. WWII veteran/Bronze Star Recipient Mr. Preston Fritts of Alexandria escorted the ceremonial Honor Flag. Dozens of worn-out flags were respectfully retired according to Public Law 829; the US Flag Code.

40th District State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver finished the ceremony with her rendition of the National Anthem. The mayor of Alexandria, Mr. Bennett Armstrong, was in attendance, along with many members of the Center, and the public.

Rep. Weaver challenged the audience to educate and remind the younger generations of the sacrifices made for the freedom which the American Flag represents. As the older military veterans within our culture, she encouraged them to ensure that children, grandchildren, and great-grand children don’t miss learning about the brave and persistent actions of the men and women who established and defended our liberty.

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