USN Adds New Way to Communicate in Emergencies
As have many universities, USN is adding a new way to communicate with our community in emergencies, a short message service (SMS), which sends text messages to cell phones and mobile devices. We will use this new system only in case of a school emergency or when weather conditions cause school to close or cause school start/end times to vary. Standard text messaging rates apply (check your mobile phone contract for details), and you may opt out of the service at any time after subscribing. Click here to sign up for the USN mobile messaging service. Students, teachers, and families are encouraged to sign up.


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Learning in 5th grade is fantastic! The Animal Kingdom Fair culminates a writing unit emphasizing imagination and solid paragraph-writing skills, a main goal of the 5th grade curriculum.


As the Calendar Turns—
Vince Reveals Next Year’s Dates
Wondering how to bring more eyes to our weekly cyber-page, it occurred to me that releasing calendar dates for next year via this medium couldn’t hurt. So here’s your reward for making the effort to stay informed—amaze your friends and astonish your less plugged in USN neighbors with this advance knowledge.
Read more.


High School Offers Guidelines for Picking Up and Dropping Off Students
School has been in session long enough for us to monitor traffic flow in our parking lots and on the streets around campus. Here are Steve Robins’ procedural guidelines for safe dropping off and picking up high school students. Read more.




Responsive Classroom® consultant Paula Denton and a film crew videotape Marty Kennedy’s class engaged in role playing, a problem-solving strategy. Read more.


Middle School Students Elect Their Leaders
Last week eight Middle School Student Council officers were elected by their classmates, four each for the 5th/6th grade Council and for the 7th/8th grade Council. Read more.




Top: Ms. Blankenship’s 3rd grade class gets ready to play Ring Tag in the pool after logging their laps on the Cumberland River swim.

Bottom: Ms. Blankenship’s class practices breathing underwater by blowing bubbles to get ready for Ring Tag, which requires them to dive to get rings and free those swimmers already tagged.

Tonight’s first grade parent education evening has been postponed due to the speaker’s schedule.

Kindergarten and fourth grade “book buddies” surround one of their adopted trees.

4th Grade and Kindergarten Adopt Trees
Our oldest and youngest lower school students are collaborating on a new project, inspired by what their teachers learned about trees at the Warner Parks Nature Center last May. Read more.



Teams of fourth graders constructed leaf presses that will be used in their tree study. photo by Chad McClarnon.



A kindergarten student examines a catalpa leaf during a Young Naturalists’ outing last week with Ms. Lee. photo by Chad McClarnon

Book Frenzy & Movie Night: Join Us Tomorrow!
Don’t miss two fun back-to-school events on the main campus tomorrow, Friday, September 28. The USN community is invited to shop the pre-sale of the Fall Book Frenzy, beginning at 4:00 in the Gordon Multipurpose Room. Come check out thousands of books for kids and adults, all 50 cents to 2 dollars. Then at 6:00 head to the first-ever Fall Fest Outdoor Movie Night, a free event featuring Finding Nemo, short films by USN students, and High School Musical 1. Read more.


Extended Hours for Bookstore on Friday
The USN bookstore will be open Friday, September 28 from 4:00 - 9:00 during the Fall Book Frenzy and Movie Night. USN hoodies are 20% off Friday only.


Author Visit
On Tuesday evening, October 16, Anastasia Goodstein, author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens are really doing online (St. Martin’s, 2007), will visit USN to discuss the online lives of teens. Read more.




Second graders play in front of the Parthenon during their study of Egypt, Greece, or Rome. The Ancient Civilizations unit culminated in the Olympics at Centennial Park and a feast with authentic ancient recipes.
Read more.

Thursday, September 27
HS Volleyball vs. St. Andrew’s, 5:00, Sperling Gym (varsity only)

HS Girls’ Soccer vs. Goodpasture, 6:00, away

MS Boys’ and Girls’ Golf vs. Grassland, 4:00, Spencer Creek

MS XC HVAC Championship, 4:00, Vaughn’s Creek

MS Football vs. Franklin Road Academy, 4:30, away

Tonight’s first grade parent education evening has been postponed due to the speaker’s schedule.

Friday, September 28
USNA Fall Book Frenzy open to USN families and teachers only, 4:00-9:00, Gordon Multipurpose Room

Fall Fest Movie Night, 6:00, back field

Saturday, September 29
Fall Book Frenzy open to public, 9:00-3:00, Gordon Multipurpose Room

Sunday, September 30
11th grade parent gathering, 5:00, the Diehls’ house

8th grade parent gathering, 5:00, the Zanders’ house

Monday, October 1
USN Baseball Fall League, Consolation Game, 4:00, River Campus

HS Volleyball vs. SCA (Senior Night), 4:30, Sperling Gym

College counseling meeting for parents of seniors, “Paying for College,” 7:00 p.m., Gordon Multipurpose Room

Tuesday, October 2
Deadline to register for November 3 SAT

HS Girls Soccer vs. St. Andrew’s, 4:00, River Campus

HS XC District Meet, 4:00, Vaughn’s Creek

View complete Master Calendar




An October Evening of Flight and Light
A multimedia mobile observatory comes to USN next month. Read more.


This week’s tip for parents:
Make use of the pop-up menu at the top of every page on the website. When your mouse cursor rolls over this “mini-menu”, you’ll find quick links to popular sections like the daily bulletins, teacher web pages, driving directions to schools, calendars, lunch menus, and parent-specific parts of the website. Want something else included in that list? Email cculpepper@usn.org with your suggestion.


Save the date!
artclectic cordially invites you to the Opening Reception for artist Rey Alfonso
Thursday, October 11, 2007
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Christine Slayden Tibbott Center Gallery






Artist Brenda Stein talks to students during artclectic’s Education Day last year.

What’s Up With Empty Bowls?
Read more and learn how to get involved.