Dates Set for Smithville, Liberty, and Alexandria Christmas Parades

November 14, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville, Liberty, and Alexandria are making plans for their annual Christmas Parades.

Sponsored by the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department, this year’s Smithville Christmas parade is set for Saturday, December 1. The line-up begins at 11 a.m. and the parade will depart Smithville Elementary School at 1 p.m. making its way down South Congress Boulevard to the Public Square. The deadline for entering the parade is Friday, November 30. Any entry after the deadline will be placed at the back of the parade line. To enter contact Jeff Wright at 615-597-6750 or John Poss at 931-349-5598.

Meanwhile the Liberty Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Town of Liberty and Liberty State Bank will be Sunday, December 2 starting at 2 p.m. The line-up begins at 1 p.m. at Salem Baptist Church. No pre-registration is needed. Anyone wanting to participate may just show up for the line-up at 1 p.m. Refreshments will be available and prizes will be given away after the parade.

The Alexandria Parade will be Sunday, December 9 at 2 p.m. with the line-up at 1 p.m. on West Main Street. To enter, contact Jessica Cripps at the Alexandria City Hall to fill out an entry form. Call 615-529-2171 for more information.

November 14, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

tnAchieves is seeking more volunteers to serve as mentors to local TN Promise students.

To meet its goal of 18 by November 30, DeKalb County needs 8 more mentors.

Please consider being a mentor and help provide students with impactful support in their college-going process. You can apply by visiting www.tnachieves.org/mentors/apply.

tnAchieves mentors spend about one hour per month reminding students of important deadlines, serving as a trusted college resource and, most importantly, encouraging students to reach their full potential. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ben Sterling, Director of Outreach at tnAchieves, at 865-567-1140 or ben@tnachieves.org.

“While TN Promise funding is important, our mentors represent the heart of our program,” said tnAchieves Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro. “Providing a complete wraparound support system for our students, both financially and emotionally, is the key to their success. It is also part of the broader culture change that we are working on in Tennessee.”

Mentors will work with a small group of three to seven students as they transition from high school to college. Mentors send reminders of important deadlines, serve as a trusted college resource and, most importantly, encourage students to reach their full potential. All mentors complete a one-hour training in person or online, and attend two, one-hour meetings with their students over the course of the year.

The Tennessee Promise offers every high school senior the opportunity to attend one of the state’s 13 community colleges or 27 colleges of applied technology tuition-free.

The mentoring program, organized by tnAchieves, requires a one hour per month commitment after a mandatory training and background check.

In the first three years of the Tennessee Promise Scholarship, nearly 180,000 students have applied. The state’s college attendance rate has increased 4.6 percent, more than the previous seven years combined.

Enrollment at the state’s community and technical colleges increased more than 20 percent, and enrollment at all of the state’s public higher education institutions increased 10 percent. With the scholarship, approximately 4,000 new students are entering the college pipeline. Those students are also retaining at rates higher than their peers who are not enrolled in Tennessee Promise.

November 14, 2018
By: Bill Conger

Amy Pack Young is the Teacher of the Month for November at DeKalb West School, an honor bestowed upon her by her peers.

“I am truly surprised and honored to be Teacher of the Month!” Young said.

A graduate of D.C.H.S. and Tennessee Tech, Young started with DWS in 2006 as a Kindergarten teacher. Previously, she had been an assistant in the DWS preschool the first year it became available in 2001 and also was a substitute teacher for a couple of years.

My sister [DWS RTI teacher Kim Crook] and I always babysat and worked within daycare,” Young says of her interest in early childhood education. “I love watching the excitement of little ones learning.”

“Ms. Young works with our most at risk students,” says Principal Sabrina Farler. “She prepares her students to be ready for Kindergarten. She sets high expectations for every child in her class.”

“She is a great coworker and I enjoy working with her,” says Kindergarten teacher Tonya Ellis.

Young also is the devoted mother of 6^th grader Emily Young and 4^th grader Chase Young.

“I love DeKalb West as an employer and as a parent,” says Young. “I love that our school is small enough that we all know each other as well as the students too. This helps us be there for each other and the students.”

DeKalb Schools Instruction Supervisor PreK-5 Michelle Burklow says Young puts her heart into her job.

“I once read that when you go to work, a person should not leave their heart at home,” said Burklow.  “Ms. Amy Young lives by this each and every day. She knows that until her kids feel loved and feel a part of her classroom community the goals she has set for her students cannot be met.

“Last year she told me that this class could have the person in it to cure cancer.  She saw the child in front of her and the potential.”

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