- What's New At Our School -

 

Great news! Mrs. Simpkins and Mrs. White went with 7 fourth graders and 2 fifth graders who represented New Union at the MTSU Invention Convention this past week. There were approximately 200 fourth-sixth grade students from all over the area. The guest speaker was Rick Stockstill, head football coach at MTSU. Several of these students were also chosen to be interviewed by two different local television stations. All of you would have been as proud of our students.

Out of the 9 students that went, 4 were winners. They were:

Ashlynn Morton, 5th grade Judges Choice in "Inventions to Make Life Easier"
Dylan Summitt, 5th grade Individual Champion in "Invented Games"
Colton Bush, 4th grade Individual Champion in "Inventions to Make Life Easier"
Vanessa Pedroza, 4th grade Third Place trophy in "Invented Games"

New Union's other student participants were:

Macie Norrod, Shelby Scrivnor, Casey Emerson, Ben Olsen, and Lauren Smith.

Congratulations to everyone who went. We're very proud of you all.

 

New Union Is Awarded Another Grant

New Union Elementary was recently awarded a Lillian Ashley Fund Grant of $1,255 to help provide character education to our pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students. Our belief is that our actions speak louder than our words. Children learn values, morals, and priorities by observing how adults react every day. The faculty and staff feel it is important to teach and model for students that the real meaning of success is having a good reputation and moral character.

Thanks to this generous grant from the Lillian Ashley Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, we will be able to expand our STARS program to include more categories to reward more students exhibiting good character traits.

Education is a team effort, and we are truly blessed to live in a community that supports our efforts to educate children.

New Community Programs: 

 

S.T.A.R.S.

Students That Are Really Shining

 

New Union Elementary Students, Faculty, Staff, and Parents:

 At New Union Elementary, we feel that a big part of a students’ education is in learning good manners and demonstrating good character traits.  Each month the Coffee County School System emphasizes a different character word.  Our goal as adults at New Union is to reward our students when they demonstrate good character traits during the school day. 

When any adult school personnel observes a student doing a kind or helpful act without being asked, we will let them know we noticed and write their name on a ticket along with what they did. 

Each Friday a name will be drawn from each ticket box for grades K-2 and 3-5.  The two winning students will receive a free ice cream in the cafeteria that day and have their picture taken.  It will then be displayed in the hall on the “Wall of STARS” for the rest of the school year.  The following are some guidelines to go by: 

Ø     Students should not ask for a ticket for doing something nice.

That is not polite.

Ø     Since each classroom already has its own rewards in place, the

     regular classroom teacher will not be giving tickets to their own

     students, just other students in the school.

Ø     When a ticket is given, it is important that the specific good behavior is noted

           so it can be announced when the students win on Friday.

Ø     The ticket boxes and tickets will be labeled and stored above the faculty mailboxes.  If you are somewhere else in the building or on the playground, just let the student know that you will put their name in the drawing later and then please do not forget to submit their name.   

Ø    It is not possible to reward everyone who has done a nice deed and has his/her name in the box.  Part of the reward is just being recognized for doing the good deeds.  Hopefully the students who are consistently recognized will be drawn sometime during the school year.  

Ø     Students may win multiple times.  It is just the luck of the draw.

 

On Going Activities & Projects 

 

CAMPBELL SOUP LABELS & BOXTOPS FOR EDUCATION- saving of these labels and tops helps with obtaining items for our school. Parent volunteers for this are: Michelle Howell (Campbell Soup Labels) & Emily Tidwell (Boxtops For Education). Thank you for heading up this project.
 

Fourth Graders are currently collecting soda can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. Please save the tabs from these cans and give them to New Union's Fourth Grade. 


New Union’s Third Grade Students are now collecting cell phones to assist Haven of Hope. At the end of the 2005-2006 school year they had collected 30+ cell phones and chargers. Please drop off any old cell phones you may have at the school, the Board of Education Building, or Garner’s Furniture. We hope that you will assist these students in their efforts toward this worthy cause.  


Some exciting projects at New Union have been initiated. To help our students become more aware of famous works of art and their artists, which is part of our school’s Core Knowledge Curriculum, the school purchased and/or received thirteen full sized prints. Local businesses and community leaders have sponsored several frames. Some of these prints have been showing up in the “Art Gallery” (a walkway between the two wings). We still have more art prints that need a sponsor for a frame. If you know a business or family that would like to donate $100 for this project, we will place an engraved plaque inside the frame in their honor.


Third graders are also still collecting eyeglasses for the Lions Club. As of the 2005-2006 school year, the Third Grade Students collected, 150 pairs of eyeglasses. Please help them continue their good work by donating old glasses at New Union School, the Board of Education Offices, or at Garner’s Furniture Store on the square. Keep up the good work Third Grade!

Updated: February 2010