​The Cheatham County School District will be hosting viewing events for students and staff members for the rare total solar eclipse on Monday, Aug. 21.
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The district is currently working on the details and will tentatively have students in the Pleasant View area to view the eclipse.
With 2 minutes and 19 seconds of the total solar eclipse, Cheatham County’s longest view is in the Pleasant View area.
 
The actual total eclipse — when the moon is directly between the sun and the earth — is expected to begin at around 1:26 p.m.
 
The day’s schedule may have to be adjusted due to the timing of the eclipse.
 
Activities are being planned at each location as students wait to view the eclipse. Family members of students are invited to attend the viewing events.
 
The district is purchasing glasses that are being recommended to wear while viewing the eclipse.
 
Additional information will be released as the date nears.

Cheatham County cafeteria managers and assistant managers, along with nutrition supervisor Melanie Smiley and nutrition assistant Kim Trotter attended the Tennessee School Nutrition Association’s 2017 conference June 12-15 in Gatlinburg.

This year’s theme was “Knock It Out Of The Park.”

Smiley served as the president of the 3,200-member association this year.

Smiley, who has been with the district for 38 years, has served as the nutrition supervisor since 1994.

On the last night of the conference, Smiley was recognized for her service as president.

“It was an honor and privilege to lead the association this year. I enjoyed my tenure as president and the friendships that I made. I was afforded many opportunities to serve, including a visit to Washington D.C. to seek continued support of school meal programs,” she said.

Smiley also received the Star Club Award for her efforts in recruiting up to 150 members to the association.

West Cheatham Elementary School received the Wellness Award at the conference.

The school’s nutrition employees were recognized for their efforts in creating nutritious activities for students, parents and community partners during National School Breakfast Week.
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The activities were spearheaded by cafeteria manager Rebecca Myers, assistant manager Sharlene Crone and the staff.

​The Cheatham County School District has named Dawn Wenning as the new Kingston Springs Elementary School principal.
 
Wenning, who is currently an academic specialist at Pegram Elementary School, will replace Joy Bauman, who is the new Sycamore Middle School assistant principal.
 
A 1990 graduate of Prairie View Academy in Bastrop, La., Wenning earned her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education English from Welch College (formerly Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville) in 1994.
 
She received her Special Education endorsement from Tennessee State University in 2001 and Masters in Educational Leadership from Austin Peay State University in 2012.
 
Wenning has been in the education field for 21 years.
 
She spent three years at Metro Christian Academy, teaching third grade and middle school English.
 
Wenning has been with Cheatham County Schools for 17 years. She started in 1998 as a special education teacher at Cheatham County Central High School and then moved to the English Department to teach English I until 2005.
 
Her family moved to Florence, Ala., and she taught seventh and eighth grade English for one year at Florence Christian Academy.
 
Wenning returned to Cheatham County in 2007 to begin teaching in the English Department at Sycamore High School before becoming the academic specialist at PES in 2015.
 
She is married to Steve Wenning, the principal at Cheatham County Central High School. They have two sons, Sean and Avery.
 
"I am so thankful for the opportunity to continue my journey in education at Kingston Springs Elementary School. I am excited to begin working with the faculty and staff, students and parents, as well as other members of the community to continue to build on the strong foundation and standard of excellence that previous administrators have worked so hard to build,” Wenning said.
 
She added: “I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and becoming an integral member of the Kingston Springs family and community.”
 
Interim Director of Schools Stacy Brinkley said Wenning’s vast experience in multiple roles will benefit KSES.
 
"Her enthusiasm and passion for students and teachers has made her a great choice for Kingston Springs Elementary School. In addition, her successful experiences in the classroom have prepared her for this next role in her career and in this district,” she said.
 
Wenning will step into her new position on July 1.

The Cheatham County School District has named Joy Bauman as the new assistant principal at Sycamore Middle School.
 
Bauman, who is currently the principal of Kingston Springs Elementary School, will replace Robyn Miller, who is taking over as SMS principal following the retirement of Lisa Young.
 
She will begin her new duties July 1.
 
Bauman, a 2000 graduate of Hendersonville High School, received her bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University in 2005 and her master's degree in school counseling from Tennessee State University in 2010. 
 
She earned her Education Specialist in Administration and Supervision from Middle Tennessee State University in 2013.
 
Bauman served as the school counselor at KSES from 2009 to 2013. During that time, she was the Harpeth Middle School assistant girls basketball coach in 2011 and the Harpeth High School assistant girls basketball coach in 2012.
 
She led KSES as principal for four years from 2013 to 2017.
 
She has served on the Ark Community Resource Center's Board of Directors since 2010 and was a co-facilitator of the district's Aspiring Administration Academy for the 2016-2017 school year.
 
“Leaving the Kingston Springs Elementary family and community will be incredibly difficult. Over the last eight years, I have grown so much personally and professionally in my time at Kingston Springs and it is due to the fantastic team of people with whom I have been fortunate to work," Bauman said.
 
She added: "In the spirit of lifelong learning, I am looking forward to continuing my professional career on an administrative team with Robyn Miller and Sycamore Middle School. Both KSES and SMS have great traditions of academic success and wonderful school climates. I am honored and humbled to continue serving the Cheatham County School District.”
 
A new principal at KSES has not yet been named.

​The Cheatham County School District has named Mike Parsley as its new special education supervisor.
 
Parsley, who is currently a school counselor at Harpeth Middle School, will replace Andrea Pewitt, who has been named the director for Lipscomb University’s IDEAL (Igniting the Dream of Education and Access) program.
 
He will begin his new position July 1.
 
Parsley, a 1986 graduate of White House High School, received his bachelor's degree in Public Management and Criminal Justice, from Austin Peay State University in 2001 and a Masters of Education in Special Education from APSU in 2007. He earned a post masters endorsement as a school counselor from Tennessee State University in 2014.
 
He has worked 16 years in education, 14 with the Cheatham County School District.
 
He served 12 years as a special education teacher, working on the middle and high school levels. He has worked as a teacher in behavior modification programs, Life Skills and the inclusion classroom.
 
Parsley served four years as a school counselor, most recently at HMS.
 
Parsley resides in Kingston Springs with his wife, Leslie, and their two children, Jake and Thayer. 
 
"I am excited to continue expanding on the foundation Andrea Pewitt built during her tenure as special education supervisor. I have worked in various schools in the district and have good working relationships already with many administrators and teachers, which will hopefully assist in a smooth transition. I am appreciative of this opportunity and look forward to serving our students and their families," he said.

Sycamore Middle School has had a long history of having a high-quality band.

While many educators have helped maintain the band through the years, the person who built the program was Morris Stevens.

The Cheatham County School Board voted Monday, June 5 to name the SMS Band Room as the “Morris and Diane Stevens Band Room” in honor of Mr. Stevens and his late wife.

Mr. Stevens has committed his life to music education in Middle Tennessee, teaching in Columbia, Clarksville, Trevecca University, Vanderbilt University and ending his career at SMS.

He served on the Executive Committee of the Middle Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association, where he provided opportunities for students across the state to participate in a festival environment and to get feedback from some of the nation’s most renowned music educators.

With his help, the events continue today, including the MTSBOA Concert Performance Assessment, where there are more than 10 full days of performances by the bands of Middle Tennessee.
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He was also essential in the creation of the Austin Peay State University Concert Festival, where students have the opportunity to meet and work with prominent conductors.