Stephen Jacobs is the valedictorian of the Harpeth High School Class of 2018.

He is the son of Bill and Donna Jacobs of Pegram.

Jacobs had the distinct honor of making a perfect score (36) on the ACT as well as being named a National Merit Finalist.

He was a member of the HHS marching band his freshmen, sophomore and junior years and concert band all four years. Additionally, Jacobs was a member of the cross country team his junior and senior years, Student Council member for four years (president one year and vice president one year) and National Honor Society member for three years.

Jacobs placed third at the Tennessee World Affairs Council Academic World Quest State Championship.

He is a member of Boy Scout Troop 594 and achieved his Eagle Scout rank. He also held various other positions with the BSA, including Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Quartermaster, Patrol Leader and Chaplin’s Aide.

Jacobs plans to attend West Virginia University and major in aerospace engineering.

Jared Higgs is the salutatorian of the Harpeth High School Class of 2018.

He is the son of Timothy and Jennifer Higgs of Kingston Springs.

During his years at Harpeth, Higgs was Student Council treasurer and a member of the National Honor Society and marching band. In addition, he was named a National Merit Finalist his senior year.

He plans to major in physics and aspires to be an astronomer.​

Abigail Haggard is the valedictorian of the Sycamore High School Class of 2018.

She is the daughter of Barry and Joyce Haggard of Ashland City.

During her time at SHS, she was a member of the Student Council, National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Pep Club, Best Buddies Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club and the Director of Schools’ Student Advisory Council.

In addition, Haggard participated in Youth Leadership Cheatham County her junior year and played soccer all four years, serving as team captain her senior year. She was a member of the HOSA Club for four years, serving as president her senior year.

Haggard has received numerous scholarships, including the Volunteer Scholarship, Heritage Bank Scholarship, Cheatham County Community Foundation Scholarship and Community Bank & Trust Scholarship.

Haggard will enroll at the University of Tennessee College of Nursing to pursue a degree in nursing and eventually become a nurse practitioner.

“My time at Sycamore has been full of ups and downs, but ultimately I am grateful for all I have learned both inside and outside of the classroom, and I'm ready to begin this new chapter in life,” she said.
 
Lauren Hunsicker is the salutatorian of the Sycamore High School Class of 2018.

She is the daughter of Harmon and Melissa Hunsicker of Goodlettsville. 

During her time at SHS, she has been the National Art Honor Society president, a track and field team member for four years, a yearbook staff member for two years, a National Honor Society member for two years, a SCOPE representative, the designer of the 2017 Ashland City mural project and a Student Council Representative for two years.

This year, she received first place for drawing at the Night of the Arts, and she has been the Student of the Month twice throughout high school for History and English.

She received the Trustee Scholarship from Middle Tennessee State University, where I plan to major in visual communication. She hopes to become a graphic designer for a news outlet, advertising company or sports team.
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“The highlight of my high school experience was being in National Art Honor Society and track and field. Above all, I enjoyed the opportunities and friendships they gave me,” she said.

​Jackson Rowe is the valedictorian of the Cheatham County Central High School Class of 2018.

He is the son of Christopher and Jennifer Rowe of Ashland City.

Rowe was a member of the CCCHS marching band, Physics and Robotics Club, Spanish Club, Student Council and Beta Club. He served as president of the Chess Club his senior year.

He was a member of the cross country team his freshman year and was on track team all four years, serving as captain his sophomore, junior and senior years.

His academic achievements included placing first in the Cheatham Challenge History Competition, making a 31 on the ACT, being accepted into the Brock's Scholars program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and receiving the Chancellor's scholarship from UTC.

Rowe plans to major in political science.

“I’m not sure what exactly I want to do. Hopefully college will help me figure that out,” he said.

Rowe said: “Overall, my experience at CCCHS has been positive. Though the school has some shortcomings, the fantastic peers and teachers I've met during my four years at the school make up for them. Even though I can't wait to graduate, I think I'll miss it once I'm gone.”
 
Hannah Battles is the salutatorian of the Cheatham County Central High School Class of 2018.

She is the daughter of Amy Castillo Ashland City.

During her time at CCCHS, she served as treasurer of the Beta Club and vice president and student representative of the Student Council and was a member of HOSA, Cub Pride, Pep Club, Cubs for Christ and Drama Club, appearing in the successful “Ring of Fire” play.

She was the captain on the cheer team and made the All-American Cheer Team.

Battles maintained a 4.0 GPA all throughout high school and was awarded the Lions Club scholarship.

She plans to attend Austin Peay State University and major in nursing.

“I hope to get my BSN and become a registered nurse. I hope to become a flight nurse. I also hope to take my career and be active in missionary work,” she said.

She said her time at CCCHS has been an experience that was nothing short of amazing.
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“I am excited for the future and to see where God leads me, and I’ll be forever grateful for the memories that I have made with my peers. I am extremely blessed to be able to graduate with my class because we are like one big family,” she said.

The Cheatham County Reading Council hosted its "Celebrate Literacy" reception and awards ceremony on May 11.

The event recognized Cheatham County student authors who entered their original books in the Tennessee Reading Association Elizabeth Brashears book writing competition.

Forty-nine students from the county entered the competition. Out of the 49 books evaluated by the Cheatham County Reading Council, there were 14 entries selected to be evaluated on the state level. Those student authors received medals. Cheatham County received five silver and nine bronze medals on the state level.  

Mallory Lemley, president of Cheatham County Reading Council and Tennessee Reading Association's Celebrate Literacy chairperson, organized the event. 

Charles Wallace and Martha West handed out the awards.  Author Dawn Young, a retired Cheatham County educator, was the guest speaker. 

Tamara Retchless, Stephanie Gottschalk, Claudette Fizer and Joyce Bell helped to prepare refreshments and decorations. 
The event was held in the Cheatham County Board Annex room. It was a packed house, and everyone had an enjoyable time. 
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Some of those in attendance were Mary Truka and her husband. Truka is the president of the Tennessee Reading Association. Melanie Collins, Tennessee Reading Association's District Coordinator for Middle Tennessee, and May Lingner, director of the Cheatham County Public Library, also attended.
 

Congrats to our Employees of the Month!


• Ashland City Elementary School: Cayla Cutts, Office Assistant
• East Cheatham Elementary School: Misty Stehle, Teacher
• Kingston Springs Elementary School: Renee Miller, Assistant 
• Pegram Elementary School: Tammy Stewart, Teacher 
• Pleasant View Elementary School: Reka Tabb, Librarian 
• West Cheatham Elementary School: Julie Whittaker, Speech Pathologist 
• Cheatham Middle School: Kristina Pardue, Teacher 
• Harpeth Middle School: Aimee White, Focus Teacher
• Sycamore Middle School: Mike Havens, School Resource Officer 
• Cheatham County Central High School: Jim Lavery, Teacher 
• Harpeth High School: Natalia Fallon, Teacher 
• Sycamore High School: Jennifer Reist, Academic Specialist 
• Riverside Academy: Doug Hungate, Teacher 
• Daycare: Keri Messer, PES Site Director
• Nutrition: Vickie Carney, CMS Manager 
• Technology: Debi Perry, Data Integrity Specialist 
• Transportation: Tammy Graham, Bus Driver


The Cheatham County School Board recognized the employees at its May 7 meeting.
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The employees receive a $25 WalMart gift card that is sponsored by A.O. Smith through the Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce. We thank them for their continued support of the Cheatham County School District.

​Cheatham County Central High School has a new mural for its new mechatronics class.
 
Freshmen Karina Kane (left) and Madelyn Harter (right) worked together to complete the painting.
 
Art teacher Ellen Beard collaborated with mechatronics teacher Amy Herrin to find out what design would be the most creative and best fit for her subject area.
 
“We decided on a general design and I worked with the students to help them decide color choices and lettering. They exceeded my expectations with their creative touches with the letters and gear details,” Beard said.
 
She added: “We wanted to celebrate this class being a new addition to our school this year with the encouragement of (CTE Director) Dr. Tara Watson. One of my goals for our art department is to bring new murals in our school every year to bring new life to our building.”

Congrats to our Employees of the Month!

• Ashland City Elementary School: Amanda Hunter, Computer Lab Instructor
• East Cheatham Elementary School: Lori Speich, Teacher
• Kingston Springs Elementary School: Lisa Bailey, Special Education Assistant
• Pegram Elementary School: Teresa Hunt, Front Desk Receptionist
• Pleasant View Elementary School: Rebecca Jaggers, Teacher
• West Cheatham Elementary School: Cindy Weakley, Librarian
• Cheatham Middle School: Caleb Patterson, Special Education Assistant
• Harpeth Middle School: Melanie Buchanan, Teacher
• Sycamore Middle School: Lindsay Jurek, Psychologist
• Cheatham County Central High School: Kelly Lewis, Teacher 
• Harpeth High School: Elizabeth Davis, Media Specialist
• Sycamore High School: Stacey Tinch, Front Desk Receptionist
• Riverside Academy: Jeff Hobbs, Behavior Interventionist
• Daycare: Wanda Givens, HMS Site Director
• Nutrition: Lucy Anderson, ACES Cafeteria Manager
• Technology: Resha Garrison, Technology Trainer
• Transportation: Kathy Binkley, Driver

The Cheatham County School Board recognized the employees at its April 2 meeting.

The employees receive a $25 WalMart gift card that is sponsored by A.O. Smith through the Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce.

We thank them for their continued support of the Cheatham County School District.