Principals’ Paws Family Newsletter Published by the Principals of Mary Blount Elementary School
Volume 3, Issue 3		March 26, 2008
Bloom where you are planted!
			Mark Your March Calendar 04 – No School 11 – Spring Picture Time at M.B.E.      Academic Olympics at WBHS 17 – 21 No School (Spring Break) 24 - Regular School Day 26 – Report Cards 31 – Parent Conferences 8am-2pm Mark Your April Calendar 7-11 TCAP Testing 18- BEAR RUN-see back pg 23 –Progress Reports (moved due to TCAP) 24 County-wide Art show at Central Office 5-7 p.m. 25- Kindergarten Registration 25-27 State Dept Tax Holiday 29- 5^th Grade Current Events Bowl at Central Office 5:30-8:30 p.m. Mark Your May Calendar 2- Spring Sing 5 - Kindergarten Parent Night 6-7 p.m. 13 – 5^th grade register at WBMS for next year 16-School-wide Field Day 19- Talent Show 20- Kindergarten and 5^th Grade Graduation 21-Last Day of School (abbreviated day Summer School June 2 – June 27 Mark Your August Calendar Student Registration First Full day of 2008-09 school 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 Stan Painter, Assistant Principal stan.painter@blountk12.org
Hello Parents, We hope this newsletter finds everyone rested and doing well from a much needed Spring Break. The onset of spring brings such a sense of renewal, and our hope is that you and your family take time to enjoy it to the fullest. It is amazing how quickly this school year is passing. This newsletter is being sent home with report cards. 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. TCAP tests are just around the corner. Some tips for TCAP success are on the back page for you and your student. We have two Summer School opportunities to share with you: § The Kindergarten Readiness program is available to students who will be attending kindergarten beginning in August 2007. Enrollment information will be available in May. The program dates are June 2-June 27. § The Sixth Grade Academy is a program that helps upcoming 6^th graders transition to the middle school Dates, hours, location, and enrollment information will be available in April. We need volunteers! Spring is quickly approaching and we still have 3 mounds of playground mulch that needs to be spread out! If you have a “bobcat” type machine, a shovel, a wheelbarrow, time, muscles, and are willing to donate any of these, please contact the front office!! We want our playground area to be as safe as is possible. Continue to collect those Mayfield’s milk caps, boxtops, soup labels, Food City receipts, etc. as the money we receive from those programs continue to be beneficial. It all adds up to extra things at MBE for our students! Appreciatively~~Mrs. Bell and Mr. Painter Tennessee Department of Revenue Sales Tax Holiday: School Supplies – $100 or Less Please note date change of spring holiday to April 25-27 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.

From the Guidance Department Mrs. Tuck "Making Connections -Bonding Families using the Lifeskills" Spring is in the air, and around here that means one thing … it’s TCAP time in Tennessee! TCAP’s are our state mandated standardized tests given to all 2^nd – 5^th graders. Just ask your child and I am certain he or she will be able to tell you all about it! This year, our TCAP’s will be given April 7-11. It is very important that your student is at school and on time every single day that week, since there is very little time to make-up the test. Many kids, parents & teachers get a little nervous or “antsy” at TCAP time, but really, it is just a chance for our kids to show off all they have learned this year. Your child has earned their bragging rights and the TCAP test is a perfect way to really shine! So, when preparing your child to come to school to take the TCAP test, remind them to use the Lifeskill of Pride. Pride is having satisfaction from doing your personal best. Send them off to school that week knowing they have worked hard this year, and it’s time to be proud of their efforts by doing their personal best on the test! For more information on the TCAP test & what you can do at home to encourage your child’s best at school, join me for coffee on Wednesday, April 2 at 8:00 in the office. I will be sharing some simple tips to help your child be ready for the big day!	From the Art Department Mrs. Woods During the past nine weeks, the art room has been a busy place! Students have worked on drawings, paintings, and clay sculptures. Look for a clay exhibit in the school foyer! You will see an assortment of fun and “delicious” clay sculptures, bowls, and tiles. Also, during the remainder of March, you may visit the Blount County Central Office to see artwork from our school on display. Keep in mind the Countywide Art Show will take place April 24th. Maybe your child’s artwork will win a blue ribbon this year! I will be notifying you if your child has been selected to participate in the competition. Art Club for Mr. Sutton’s class and Mrs. Myers’ class have begun. I look forward to working with them and enhancing their artistic talents!
From the Music Department: Mr. Hurst Our 4th and 5th grade Spring Sing students did an excellent job performing for the March school board meeting at central office!  They are continuing to rehearse for the Spring Sing which will take place on May 1st and 2nd at Fairview United Methodist Church.  Our 2nd and 3rd grade students did a fine job singing at our final Bear Night on February 21st.  They sang songs about reading and books, and every child received a book as they went home that evening.  Our kindergarten and 1st grade students will start practicing songs after spring break for their kindergarten promotion program and the 1st grade "V is for Volunteer" program which will take place in May.  Our end of the year Talent Show will also be in May.  Try-outs for grades 2-5 will be during music classes after we finish our t-cap testing.
From the Media Department Mrs. Bivens We would like to thank everyone who made this year’s Book Fair such an enormous success. Because of the devotion of our parent volunteers- some of whom bought books, gave kids money to pay the sales tax on what they bought, and came back to work tirelessly day-after-day – and our teachers who bought books and had to contend with endless requests to visit the Book Fair – we collected $15,196.74 in sales. Of that amount, we got to keep $3,234.67 in cash and $2,087.24 in free books for our library. Very impressive, especially considering that we missed one day of sales due to the Martin Luther King holiday and one day because of snow!!! We still passed the sales record we set last year of $15,089.82. Thanks again to everyone for making this Book Fair great!		BEAR RUN – FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH We are really counting on your support for our 7th annual Mary Blount Elementary Bear Run. Pledge forms have been sent home. We encourage every student to participate and every parent, grandparent, or friend to come by and share in the fun on Friday, April 18.  Please feel free to come and eat lunch outside with us, take pictures, or even walk laps with your child’s class.  Each child will receive a participation reward furnished by Standard Aero. Remember all of the money raised on April 18 will be used for improvements for your children here at Mary Blount Elementary.  Thank you in advance for helping us make this a fun and profitable day. If you have questions please call the school 980-1430!