For the second year in a row, Arlington Community Schools’ students have achieved the highest level of growth, according to data released today by the Tennessee Department of Education.

This makes ACS one of 59 districts state-wide to receive an overall TVAAS composite level of 5. Additionally, the majority of the tested subject areas earned a three or higher for overall growth.

“As we begin our fifth year as a school district, it’s encouraging to see that our students continue to grow and compete on a state-wide level,” said Superintendent Tammy Mason. “ACS has accomplished the highest level of growth possible, but the work doesn’t stop here. We will continue to push and motivate our students and teachers to ensure we’re providing the best learning environment possible.”

We would like to thank our schools, teachers, students and families for their hard work and dedication. Your commitment to public education is what makes ACS among the best!

Tickets are available for ACS Night at the Redbirds this Saturday, August 18th at 6:35 p.m.!

The annual outing will once again feature performers from Arlington Community Schools, including the Donelson & Arlington Elementary Schools choir, Arlington Middle School Band and Arlington High School cheerleaders. Also stick around after the game for the fireworks show!

The group rate is open for all families in the Arlington Community Schools system and residents of Arlington. Tickets are $16 and include entry into the game, a hot dog and soda, a Redbirds souvenier hat and access to the post-game fireworks show.

To purchase tickets, visit here.

Time to wake it up!  As we get ready for the new school year, it is time to get your iPad in working order.  Please follow the steps below if you are having trouble turning your iPad on.

Troubleshooting tips if your iPad doesn’t turn on:

1. Check to see if the charging cable and charging adapter work.  To do this, (with another Apple product) plug in another device to your cable and adapter.
2. Charge the device overnight (24 hours).  If your device’s battery has completely lost its charge, the iPad will take time to power back on.
3. Try resetting your iPad.  To do this, hold the sleep/wake button on the top right and then the home button at the bottom center at the same time for 10 seconds.  Hold them until the screen goes black, and wait for the Apple logo to appear. The iPad MUST be plugged in. If that doesn’t work, wait a few minutes and try again before turning in a maintenance ticket.
4. If these previous steps do not work, please submit a technology ticket to Happy Fox before coming to school.
   1. https://arlington.happyfox.com/new
   2. For those without a school-issued email address, please list a personal email address that we can reach you.

Finally, when your iPad is up and running, update it to the latest iOS version.

ARLINGTON, Tenn. (Arlington Community Schools) – From the outside looking in, Cardio Fitness Drumming may look like people are just using sticks to bang on plastic balls and buckets.

The program is big on utilizing music, so in some ways, it does appear like unstructured fun. But it’s precisely that joy you see on peoples’ faces that is masking what’s going on behind the scenes: a highly personalized workout that is forcing participants to elevate their heart rates for extended periods of time.

Arlington Community Schools Health & Wellness teachers learned this lesson first-hand during a back-to-school workshop this week.

“Teaching people to move is not easy,” said Becky Bocz – she’s an instructor in the Physical Education Teacher Education (P.E.T.E.) program at the University of Memphis. “But this lesson makes it fun for everyone, and it lets students take control of their own health.” (more…)

ARLINGTON, Tenn. (Arlington Community Schools) – Not many people can leave behind a legacy the way Brent McBride has at Arlington High School.

Teaching wasn’t even his first career. Most of it was spent in pharmaceuticals. “He didn’t need this job for financial reasons,” said Joel Wilhite, a colleague and friend of McBride’s. “He was in it for the kids. He just loved the kids.”

It’s the love he had for kids that people will always remember. McBride passed away Monday after a three-year battle with cancer.

He began teaching economics at Arlington High School in 2009, and immediately he connected with the students. His co-workers are still in awe of his ability to get down on the students’ level to ensure they were growing as learners and as individuals.

“I remember one time how he taught an economics lesson by talking about the latest Rap artists on the scene,” AHS Spanish Teacher Emily Land recalled laughing. “He just understood relationships so well. It’s unreal how connected he was.” (more…)

A Letter from AMS Principal, Dr. Allison Clark:

AMS Families,

We are so excited to welcome you back for another amazing year at Arlington Middle School! Wonderful opportunities await all of our students, and we can’t wait to watch them grow into successful, young leaders.

As you enter campus this year, you’ll notice that construction continues on our new gymnasium.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances out of our control, the gym project was delayed over the summer, leaving the bulk of the construction during this upcoming fall semester. Now, with an expected completion date in late February, the project will undoubtedly interrupt our normal parking and drop-off protocols.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we hope the following guidelines will help minimize those interruptions. It is imperative that all parents, students and guests respect these guidelines, as we are committed to the safety of all people entering our campus. (more…)

ARLINGTON, Tenn. (Arlington Community Schools) – An Arlington High School science teacher will be one of 31 teachers statewide to serve on a new advisory group for the Tennessee Department of Education.

Curtis Herring was selected as a TNReady Ambassador, which is a group of educators who will “provide on-the-ground perspective and feedback on the state assessment program.”

Herring, a teacher of 25 years in the Shelby County area, said he applied for the position to help make a difference. “I believe in what I do,” he said. “I believe when I have an opportunity to make a positive impact on learning and on students’ lives then I want to play that role if I can.”

In an announcement Tuesday morning, the TDOE said the TNReady Ambassadors Program was created to help improve the state’s assessment program, in part by relying on experts in the field, specifically teachers. Some of the duties Herring will be responsible for include assisting with planning and presenting professional developments, reviewing test questions and evaluating test materials. (more…)