​East Cheatham Elementary School has formed its first Student Lighthouse Team for the “Leader in Me” program.
 
Students in grades 2-4 were chosen to represent the school based on their demonstration of leadership skills. The members represent the student body.
 
The team will meet monthly to work on projects that will help the school as well as helping to prepare for the school’s first Leadership Day, which will be held in the spring of 2017.  
 
The team met on Oct. 18 to begin its first leadership project.
 
Team members wrote welcome letters to new students who transfer to ECES during the school year.
 
The letters will be placed in welcome packets that will be created and assembled by the team.
 
The welcome packets will be given to any new student who registers at ECES.
 
The team will be working on various projects throughout the school year.
 
ECES launched the “The Leader in Me” program this year.
 
The school-transforming process draws from Stephen R. Covey’s “Seven Habitats of Effective People” in helping students become effective leaders.

Five Cheatham County high school seniors have been selected to represent their schools in the 2016 Wendy’s High School Heisman Award program.

The Cheatham County Central High School representatives are Savannah Jackson and Danny Chaleunsak. Liddie Sutton and Nathan Snell are the Harpeth High School nominees and Alyssa Pinkston was selected for Sycamore High School.

The Wendy's High School Heisman Award program was created by Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s.

The program recognizes outstanding students across the country for their athletic prowess, academic achievement and leadership within their community.

Like The Heisman Memorial Trophy, Wendy’s believes in the pursuit of athletic and academic excellence with integrity.
Additionally, the Wendy’s High School Heisman is committed to inspire high school students to achieve personal bests and pursue their higher educational goals.

To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher. Applicants must also prove that they are leaders and role models within their school and community, and must perform in at least one of the 43 school-sponsored sports recognized by the National Federation of State High School Associations or International Olympic Committee in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
 
The Wendy's High School Heisman is a joint program between Wendy's and the Heisman Trophy Trust, host and custodians of the Heisman Memorial Trophy. Since 1994, more than 600,000 of the nation’s most esteemed students have been recognized.

Both school and state finalists were recently announced. School winners received a school winner certificate and Wendy’s High School Heisman patch.

​The top Science Fair participants from each school in grades 3-12 competed in the Cheatham County District Wide Science Fair on Thursday, Oct. 20.
 
The annual event was held at Cheatham Middle School in Ashland City.
 
In addition to naming the top overall Science Fair winners, the event featured performances by local students and refreshments by Cheatham County businesses.
 
Science Fair coordinator Emily Staggs said, “The Science Fair is a great opportunity for our students to shine bright. As always, the students developed some very creative projects and experiments.”
 
The Science Fair showcased the talent of many Cheatham County students, including Sycamore Middle School student Blake Young, who performed a magic act; and Sycamore Middle School student Gracie Parrish, who clogged.
 
There were also performances by the dance team from Sycamore Middle School (led by Julie Davenport) and the choirs from Sycamore High School (led by Maggie Mason), Sycamore Middle School (led by Michael Petrone) and Cheatham Middle School (led by Allie Bilderback).
 
BJ’s Family Restaurant in Pleasant View, The Livery Stables in Pleasant View and Cody’s Diner in Ashland City provided refreshments to the guests.
 
“This event would not have been possible without the generous support of A.O. Smith and our food sponsors,” Staggs said.
 
A.O. Smith provides the prize money for the students and helps every year to stage the event, which highlights students’ academic achievements and promotes the love of science.
 
 
Competition winners:
 
Third Grade:
First: Sawyer Binkley (Pegram Elementary)
Second: Abigail Fred (Pegram Elementary)
Third: Greenley Donelson (West Cheatham Elementary)
 
Fourth Grade:
First: Hannah Dodson (Pegram Elementary)
Second: Hayden Grooms (East Cheatham Elementary)
Third: Aryn Murphree (Kingston Springs Elementary)
 
Fifth Grade:
First: Callie Edwards and Toni Femino (Harpeth Middle)
Second: Elizabeth Tucker (Harpeth Middle)
Third: Eason Sewell and Johnathan Welch (Harpeth Middle)
 
Sixth Grade:
First: Jacob Capps (Sycamore Middle)
Second: Logan Johnson and Jake Merritt (Harpeth Middle)
Third: Savanna Roberts and Sophi Bruzewski (Harpeth Middle)
 
Seventh Grade:
First: Cooper Edwards and Kyler Hartley (Harpeth Middle)
Second: Noah Beshears (Harpeth Middle)
Third: Abi Walker and Marina Sherbert (Cheatham Middle)
 
Eighth Grade:
First: Hayden Miller (Sycamore Middle)
Second: Lauren Moore (Harpeth Middle)
Third: Ally Emery (Harpeth Middle)
 
Ninth-Twelfth Grades:
First: Christina Cagle (Sycamore High)
Second: Stephen Jacobs (Harpeth High)
Third: Jill Myers (Sycamore High).

​The Cheatham County School District has named Katie Balthrop as the new academic director at Harpeth High School.
 
Balthrop replaces Shannon Schliwa, who is now the school’s assistant principal.
 
Balthrop began her Cheatham County teaching career in 2006 at Sycamore Middle School, where she taught for 10 years before transitioning to Harpeth.
 
She taught seventh-grade geography and eighth-grade history and language as well as served as a mentor to new teachers at SMS.
 
Balthrop was named the SMS Teacher of the Year and District Wide Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2012-13.
 
Balthrop, a graduate of Tullahoma High School, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Austin Peay State University. She has minors in criminal justice, English, history and education. She was named the top secondary student when she graduated from APSU.
 
“I'm very excited to have this new opportunity, and I look forward to working with teachers and mentoring students at Harpeth,” she said. “Harpeth is a fantastic school, and I appreciate the tremendous support I have received already from Principal Dr. Lee Rector, Assistant Principal Shannon Schliwa and the entire staff.”
 
Balthrop and her husband, Jason, and three children live in the East Cheatham area.
 
Dr. Tara Watson, the district’s chief academic officer, said Balthrop brings much experience to Harpeth.
 
“We know she will build strong relationships with the students, faculty and community that will have a positive impact on student achievement,” she said.
 

​Cheatham County’s high school graduation rate is on the rise.

​According to a report issued last week by the Tennessee Department of Education, the county had a graduation rate of 91.9 percent for the 2015-2016 school year, which is up from 90.1 percent the previous year.
 
The state’s graduation rate for the past school year was 88.5 percent. That is the highest on record since the state changed to a more rigorous calculation of graduation rates in 2011.
 
One bright spot for Cheatham County was the graduation rate at Cheatham County Central High School, which jumped to 95 percent – an increase from 87 percent last year.
 
The Harpeth High School graduation rate was 89.6 percent and Sycamore High School was 91.8 percent.
 
Dr. Tara Watson, the district’s chief academic officer, said credit for the graduation rate increase goes to school administrators, district staff members and teachers.
 
“They work hard to implement effective strategies that are preparing our students for graduation,” she said. “The increase is a positive step for the district and an indication that Cheatham County Schools are headed in the right direction.”
​
According to the state report, more than 70 percent of school districts had graduation rates at or above 90 percent for 2015-16, up from 81 school districts last year.

A new year has started for the Cheatham Achievers after-school program.

The Cheatham County School District offers the program in the three middle schools through a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. 

In 2014, the district was awarded the three-year, $600,000 grant to implement the program at Cheatham, Harpeth and Sycamore middle schools.

Emily Staggs, who supervises the program, said, “We are excited to offer this program for the third year. The district has enjoyed much success since we started the program. Many students have benefitted from the academic, artistic and cultural enrichment activities that are provided.”

The program offers opportunities for students to explore, develop and strengthen their academic skills.

In addition, students participate in art, music and recreation programs, character education programs and field trips to reinforce and complement the regular academic program. Guest speakers are also invited to speak to the students on a wide range of subjects.

Students receive a daily snack and are provided with transportation home each day. 

The 2016-2017 program started on Monday, Sept. 26, and each school celebrated with a Parent Night on Thursday, Oct. 6.

Cherie Bourne serves as the site director at Cheatham Middle School, Kelly Cook at Sycamore Middle School and Cindy Wells at Harpeth Middle School.

Staggs said the site directors have a number of fun activities planned for the year.

​“In October, we are learning about mummies and pyramids and we will be having mummy wrapping races, building pyramids out of marshmallows and mummifying apples. In November, we are learning about Native Americans. We have some great Native American guest speakers. In December, we are reading the book, Punished, and we will learn about puns and other language skills,” she said.