Principals’ Paws

Family Newsletter Published by the Principals of Mary Blount Elementary School

Volume 1, Issue 7

                                              February 7, 2007

from the desks of Mrs. Bell and Mr. Murrell…

 

 

       Mark Your Calendars

 

Feb. 7: Progress Reports

 

Feb. 13: MBE Science Fair (4th/5th)

 

Feb. 15: 20-day Review;

               PTO Dance 6-8 pm

 

Feb. 16: No School

 

Feb. 19: No School

 

Feb. 22: PTO Meeting at MBE, 6:30

 

Feb. 27: Bear Night, 2nd/3rd, 6-8 pm

               County Science Fair, 6-9

               pm @ Heritage High

 

Mar. 2: Spring Pictures

 

Mar. 12-16: Spring Break

 

Mar. 20: Academic Olympics,

               WBHS, 6-9 pm

 

Mar. 21: Report Cards

 

Mar. 23: 20-day Review

 

Mar. 26: Parent Conferences, 9-3

 

April 6: No School

 

April 10-20: TCAPs (2nd-5th)

We hope this newsletter finds everyone doing well and rested from an unexpected, yet much appreciated break.  This newsletter is being sent home with progress reports.  Please take time to review your child’s progress during the third grading period, and you may contact your child’s teacher if you have questions.

 

We appreciate your cooperation with the new afternoon pickup procedures.  Moving the kindergarten and 1st grade students to the front of the building helps us ensure a safer dismissal for our teachers and students especially during extreme weather.  This change also means we are now dismissing 700+ students out the front door on a daily basis.  This is where we need your help.  Please meet your child under the front awning if you choose to park and wait at the front.  Congestion in the lobby makes it difficult for all classes to exit safely and efficiently.

 

Nettrekker is an educational website with a search engine that families may use from home to get project ideas, homework help, etc.  The State Department of Education has purchased it for each Tennessee School.  You may access the website at www.nettrekker.com.  Click on Nettrekker D.I.  The username is MBE and the password is bears. 

 

Our homeroom classes are currently involved in a program entitled Walking Works for Schools, which is sponsored by the Tennessee Blue Cross Blue Shield.  All classes will be walking 5 minutes a day during the 12-week program.  Our students began the program on Jan. 29 and will complete it on May 4, which is also our Bear Run.  What a great day to celebrate the benefits of walking. 

 

Please make sure your child’s teacher has updated phone numbers and early dismissal information in case of bad weather during this winter season.

 

Please make plans to join us on February 27 for Bear Night.  Classroom visits will be 6:00-6:45 followed by a performance by our 2nd and 3rd grade students in the gym.  We look forward to seeing you.

 

REMINDER…read with your child 20 minutes each evening.

 

Appreciatively,

Mrs. Bell and Mr. Murrell

 

 

 

Mary Blount Elementary School

131 South Old Glory Road

Maryville, TN 37801

 

Phone: (865) 980-1430

Fax: (865) 980-1428

 

Sandra Bell, Principal

sandra.bell@blountk12.org

 

David C. Murrell, Assistant Principal

david.murrell@blountk12.org

 

 

The vision of Mary Blount Elementary School is to encourage a love of learning, prepare responsible citizens, develop lifelong learners,

and cultivate a respect for diversity.

 

 

Hats off to…

 

  •  all environmentally-friendly students who brought in phone books for the Keep Blount Beautiful phonebook recycling drive.

 

  • fifth grade students and teachers for giving their personal best on the Tennessee Writing Assessment on Tuesday, February 6.

 

Musical Notes, by Mr. Hurst, MBE Music Teacher

 

In music, students enjoyed a string quartet visit from the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra thanks to a grant from Ruby Tuesday.  4th and 5th grade students have also been studying African American history and its influence on music.  2nd and 3rd grade students have been busy practicing their line dancing for the February 27 Bear Night.  In addition, kindergarten and 1st grade classes have been studying about instruments and sound.  Any 4th or 5th grade student wanting to perform a vocal solo, instrumental solo, or piano solo at the March 2 Blount Co. Music Fair should see Mr. Hurst for details immediately. 

 

 

Wellness Update
 

Our school has a new wellness policy, and we are implementing revised nutritional standards and practices during 2006-2007.  These revised nutritional standards address the alarming increase in the proportion of American schoolchildren who are seriously overweight or obese.  Our revised standards reflect requirements of the Federal Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, which applies to all American Schools that participate in the federal school lunch program.  This federal legislation has been supplemented by acts of our Tennessee Legislature. 

 

These mandatory standards will greatly restrict or eliminate many foods and beverages, which are of minimal nutritional value.  These apply to any foods or beverages provided to our students in class parties, a-la-carte foods in the cafeteria, teacher rewards in each classroom, and similar activities during the school day (7:00 am–3:15 pm).  This will restrict schools from offering many of the foods and beverages, which have traditionally been part of such activities.

 

We are confident that you as parents share our goal of promoting student’s physical wellness as well as their academic and personal success in our schools.  At our school, we have organized a School Health Advisory Council made up of parents, students, classroom teachers, school administrators, and school guidance and nursing personnel.  This council has developed a School Health Improvement Plan to develop areas of weakness regarding nutrition and physical activity.  We are excited about some of the positive aspects to improve the health and safety of our students. 

 

We will be sharing more information with you in future issue of the Principals’ Paw.   We greatly appreciate your understanding and support of these efforts on behalf of our children’s health. 

 

 

PTO update

 

continue to send in Food City receipts, used ink cartridges, and Campbell’s soup labels.  We also have dumpsters at the south entrance for aluminum cans and newspapers.  Thanks to all families who collected box tops and sent them in to the school during the month of January.

 

 

Please check out our updated webpage at… http://www.blountk12.org/Mbweb/Mary_Blount_Elementary.htm