​It’s School Board Appreciation Week in Tennessee, and Harpeth Middle School is recognizing our six board members in a unique way.
 
When thinking of a way to show its appreciation, HMS decided that it was best to show the board members through something that the school is known for.
 
From HMS Principal Ryan Phillip, Assistant Principal Adrian Baker and Art Teacher Liz Austin …
 
Anyone who has walked through our hallways and classrooms has no doubt noticed that we have a very unusual “ceiling situation” in much of our building with our tiles. 
 
Long ago, our wonderful art teacher, Ms. Liz Austin, began a tradition of designing artistic ceiling tiles with our eighth-grade students and this practice has turned into something of a “phenomenon” across our building as many classrooms and hallways are scattered with evidence of eighth-grade work from across the years. 
 
Ms. Austin’s class has created a specially-designed HMS ceiling tile that says, “Board Member Appreciation Week 2017” complete with a HMS logo. 
 
The tile will be delivered to the Board of Education. While we understand if it can’t necessarily get placed in the ceiling, we assure you it will still make for a great decorative piece somewhere in the board room. 
 
Thank you for everything you do for the Cheatham County School District and Happy Board Member Appreciation Week!

​When Sycamore High School sophomore Caitlyn Gilmore was looking to recruit some new members for the girls wrestling team, she designed an eye-catching poster.
 
The poster read, “Invented by Boys, Perfected by Girls.”
 
Gilmore said she wanted to grab the attention of potential team members and let them know that girls at Sycamore are making waves in the male-dominated sport.
 
Sycamore has enjoyed much success with its girls wrestling team since it started seven years ago.
 
Several girls have advanced to the state wrestling tournament, and Sycamore has even produced one state champion and a few others have medaled.
 
Coach Raymond Bass said this year’s 11-member team – which he has nicknamed G.L.O.W. (Glamorous Ladies of Wrestling) – has been enjoyable to lead.
 
“They bring a different flavor to the sport. They listen well and are very attentive to detail. They are a tenacious group and go-getters,” he said.
 
Bass said he enjoys watching the tight-knit group of girls learn the sport and reach their goals.
 
“Regardless if it’s the girls or boys team, if they do a move that I taught them, I think I get more excited about that than anything else,” he said.
 
Bass added he has high expectations with this year’s squad.
 
“I would love for these ladies to bring home a team trophy from the state tournament in February,” he said.
 
Last year’s team finished sixth in the state with only three girls competing, but Bass hopes to fare better this year with a much larger team.
 
Sycamore is the only high school in Cheatham County with a girls wrestling team. However, a handful of Middle Tennessee schools have them and that’s who the Lady War Eagles compete against.
 
Many of the girls have their own reasons for wanting to wrestle. For some, it was because their fathers or brothers wrestled in school, while others were looking to try something new.
 
Junior Nena Chrestman, who has finished third in the state the past two seasons, said she enjoys wrestling because of the special bond she shares with her teammates.
 
“It’s just not what everybody thinks it is. It’s just not about going out there and trying to beat someone during a match. It’s about family, too,” she said.
 
After competing in her first state tournament as a freshman, Chrestman said she enjoyed her experience so much that she remains focused on her ultimate goal of winning a state title.
 
Freshman Lilly Pendleton said there are some people who believe it’s just not right for girls to wrestle and they are not taken seriously.
 
“I just laugh if off when I hear that,” she said.
 
Freshman Bonnie Hudgins said a different side of her comes out when she’s wrestling.
 
“People tell me I’m the sweetest person they know and I can’t hurt anyone. When I started wrestling, they told me I couldn’t. I wasn’t going to let them get to me and I was going to prove them wrong,” she said. “I love the feeling I get when I win … I feel good about myself, knowing I can do it.”
 
Even though some people may not believe in the girls, team members said Coach Bass is always there for them and cheering them on.
 
“He believes in us and that helps us,” said sophomore Nikki Maynard.

The Cheatham County School District has seen an increase in illnesses among its students and faculty.
 
The district has seen cases of the flu, strep throat and stomach virus as well as a variety of other symptoms.
 
We are asking for parents to be vigilant right now in helping maintain a healthy school environment.
 
Please remember that students should stay home when they are sick and remain symptom and fever free for 24 hours before returning to class.
 
If there is any concern about your child’s health, please consult with a health care professional.

​Harpeth Middle School teacher Allison Johnson spent her Thanksgiving break creating her first mural in Nashville’s Gulch neighborhood.
 
The mural is at A+ Storage on Division Street across from Yazoo Brewery.
 
Johnson has been painting small pieces of art for several years now, but the mural was her first big public creation.
 
The mural features an acoustic guitar and the Nashville skyline.
 
Johnson admits she was a little apprehensive in the beginning about painting the mural, but it turned out to be a great experience and she’s open to doing more in the future.
 
“Now that I have done my first one, I know what it entails,” she said.
 
Johnson, who has been at HMS for 12 years and currently teaches fifth-grade science, enlisted the help of her brother, Drew, on the project.
 
“He’s very artistic … I said I wasn’t going to do it unless he wanted to help me, and he was on board with it,” she said.
 
Johnson, a 2000 graduate of Cheatham County Central High School, started painting about four years ago when she wanted to create special gifts for a friend having a baby and for her parents at Christmas.
 
“I started receiving positive feedback from family and friends, and they soon wanted their own piece. It really took off and people started to commission a lot of pieces with me,” she said.
 
In the beginning, her work primarily featured the visual interpretation of song lyrics.
 
“They would give me their favorite lyrics, and I would create an image,” said Johnson, who sponsors the Art After Hours Club at HMS.
 
Johnson has since branched out and now creates a wide variety of handmade, vintage and creative goods.
 
The mural came about after the owner of A+ Storage saw her work on display at 3rd & Lindsley, where Johnson works part time.
 
Johnson said she is thankful for the positive feedback she’s received since painting the mural.
 
“My favorite thing about it is that my friends are going by it to take pictures and then showing them to me and their kids. I am humbled that they love it and want to see it,” she said.
 
Johnson uses social media to promote her work. To see what she’s created, search “4theloveofmusic615” online.
 
Johnson said she will continue to focus on her art in her spare time.
 
“It’s relaxing and therapeutic. After a stressful day at school, I can sit down and let it out on the canvas,” she said.

Students from Sycamore High School traveled to Columbia State Community College this week to participate in the Middle Tennessee Regional Technology Student Association (TSA) competition.
 
Sycamore came home with many awards:
 
• Nash Sisk, Prepared Presentation, first place
 
• Noah Baucom, Extemporaneous Speech, second place
 
• Dalton Stuard and Joe Rust, Debating Technological Issues, third place
 
• Dalton Stuard, Dylan Duncan, Jackson Shambaugh, Joe Rust, Trevor Thomason and Carson Tingler, Engineering Design, third place
 
• Alyssa Pinkston, Promotional Design, third place
 
• Matthew Littlejohn, Prepared Presentation, fourth place
 
• Carson Tingler, Promotional Design, fourth place
 
• Aidan Toombs, Matt Trail and Jackson Shambaugh, Technology Bowl, fourth place
 
• Jake Imler, Jon Duke and Nash Sisk, Technology Bowl, fourth place
 
• Logan Ivy and Matthew Littlejohn, Technology Problem Solving, fifth place   
 
• Austin Duncan, Extemporaneous Speech, fifth place
 
• Alyssa Pinkston, Photographic Technology, sixth place
 
• CJ Ivey, Dragster Design, ninth place
 
Other students participating were Jordan Imler and Lilly Davis in Children’s Stories; Joe Rust and Bailey Higgins, Biotech Design; Dylan Ruffin and Carson Tingler, Structural Design; and James Page and Triston Hampton, Structural Design. The winners of these competition have not yet been posted.

Congrats to our CTE students who qualified for the state HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) competition, which will be held April 3-5 in Chattanooga.

Students from Cheatham County, Harpeth and Sycamore high schools participated in the regional competition on Jan. 20 at Vol State Community College in Gallatin for a chance to advance to state.

CCCHS students who placed in the regional competition and are headed to state:

* Lyndsey Jenkins, first place, Nutrition
* Anna Pearson, first place, Prepared Speaking
* Shelby Adcock, first place, Medical Terminology
* Blaise Childress, fifth place, Medical Law and Ethics
* Rylee Cornstubble and Sky Childress, fifth place, CPR
 
HHS students who placed in the regional competition and are headed to state:
 
* Lindsey Swanson, second place, Physical Therapy
* Gillian Russell, third place, Veterinary Medicine
* Rachel Roberts, Alyssa Young and Taetum Moore, fifth place, Creative Problem Solving

​The Cheatham County School District will soon welcome three additional school resource officers.
 
The Cheatham County Commission approved funding on Monday, Jan. 23 to hire the new SROs through the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office budget.
 
The new SROs will start required training in the spring so they will be ready to work in August when the 2017-2018 school year begins.
 
“We appreciate the support of the County Commission to fund the three new SROs. Having additional officers in our schools will help ensure the safety of our students, which is our top priority. We also look forward to the continued partnership we have with the Sheriff’s Office,” said Interim Director of Schools Stacy Brinkley.
 
The school district and Sheriff’s Office are working on a plan of transition for the new SROs for the upcoming year.
 
With the three new SROs, the school district will have six officers in the schools beginning in August.