The ACS Connect

Congratulations to the students, teachers and staff at Arlington Elementary, Donelson Elementary and Arlington High for earning Level 5 status for the 2022-2023 school year! Level 5 is the highest possible level of academic growth students can show on the yearly state test, and this recognition serves as just one highlight of how committed our schools and teachers are to the success of our students!

As we’ve said before, state tests can’t truly capture all the great learning and growing taking place in our schools, but these results are a public recognition of the hard work we see every single day.

We couldn't have asked for a better morning for the 24th annual Arlington 5K...a sunny 65º start time at 8:00 AM! This year's event brought in more than 150 participants, volunteers and an enthusiastic group of spectators cheering on our runners. All dollars raised from this event will be donated to the Arlington Education Foundation (Arlington, TN), which helps fund teacher and school grants throughout ACS.

Thank you to Arlington Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tonia Howell and AEF President Lee Mills for organizing yet another successful Arlington 5K!

In the district's biggest push to date to promote CPR training throughout ACS, nearly 100 employees and students are now trained and certified in the life-saving procedure! Over the past six weeks, Dana Viox, the district's Coordinated School Health & Nursing Supervisor, has led several trainings that taught participants, including the health students at Arlington High, through CPR techniques, AED deployment and proper Heimlich Maneuver form. With the most recent training for District Office employees and the ACS coaching staff, nearly 100 employees have now received the American Heart Association CPR Certification.

Arlington High's Clinical Internship class returned last week with a huge new addition: the Arlington Baptist ER! Students enrolled in this class will spend the entire year getting a first-hand look at various medical offices by shadowing professionals and industry experts. They leave school early twice a week to work on-site and will rotate every four weeks so they can get an in-depth look at each location. Being selected for this class is part of a highly competitive process, requiring students to submit applications and sit for a panel interview, led by the course's teacher, Kaitlyn Scherffius. Many thanks to our medical partners for giving back to our students and sparking life-long interests!

RedMed Urgent Clinic of Arlington

Arlington Animal Clinic

Arlington Physical Therapy

Memphis Physical Therapy

Vescovo Family Dentistry

The Pediatric Clinic

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis

Join us for the first-ever ACS Homecoming Carnival on Sunday, September 24th to kick off homecoming week and to celebrate the district's 10th anniversary! Carnival games will be hosted by AHS clubs and organizations! Click here for more details!

A STEM challenge rooted in the tenants of the Portrait of an ACS Graduate put groups of 6th graders on the spot in front of their peers and a panel of medical experts. STEM students at AMS put their minds together to create medical device designs for patients diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Children who suffer from CP often toe-walk due to involuntary muscle contractions in their calves, so these 6th graders were challenged to create a device that could help patients walk more efficiently while remaining comfortable. What started as 70 teams across 6th grade were narrowed down to just 11, who then presented their research and design in front of an expert panel, made up of biomedical, electrical and medical engineers and a personal trainer.

"It was amazing to see their level of creativity," said Kathryn VanSciver, AMS STEM teacher. "But the thoughtfulness they displayed was also great to see. They really thought through the safety concerns and what patients would like, everything from comfortability to the colors. They were very empathetic through the process."

"It's intimidating to go in front of adults to present such a high-level concept, but as teachers, we put them in these scenarios so they can build confidence," said Shelby Buxton, AMS STEM teacher. "They know by the end of the project that they earned this position and they should be proud of their work, even if they didn't necessarily win."

Congrats to the following students for their placements in the challenge:

1st - Ansley Harvey, Reagan Langley, David Rosser and Taylor Williams

2nd - Anne Carrico, Gavin Lenna, Noah Kim and Kardin Ngo

3rd - Clayton Collier, Kyleigh Conner and Emma Dunlap

• ACS Board of Education Meeting - Thursday, September 14th @ 5:30 PM
• ACS Homecoming Carnival - Sunday, September 24th from 3:00 - 5:00 PM
• Fall Break (NO SCHOOL) - October 9th - 13th
• SAVE THE DATE: 2nd Annual Track or Treat - Saturday, October 28th @ 5:45 PM