Smith County School System

Next week, text messages from Ready4K will be sent to pre-K through 3rd grade families. This is a free service provided through district partnerships for all families of students pre-K through 3rd grade. Ready4K will send you text messages with easy tips and activities to help you support your child’s learning at home. If at any time you would like to stop receiving these text messages, reply "STOP" to the message.

There will be NO SCHOOL for ALL SMITH COUNTY STUDENTS Monday, 11/23, and Tuesday, 11/24, before the Thanksgiving break due to limited teacher/staff availability and significant student absences related to COVID-19 illness/exposure. We are doing everything we can to keep our students, staff, and families healthy. Buildings will be sprayed for sanitation during this closure. After Thanksgiving Break, beginning Monday, November 30, IN-PERSON students will begin a hybrid schedule that will run through Friday, February 12. The 2020-21 school calendar has not been altered and all breaks and holidays will be observed as previously scheduled. Please check your child’s home school website for a detailed schedule.

Attention: TN Promise Sign Up Deadline for Class of 2021 has been extended to December 1, 2020. Go to https://www.tn.gov/tnpromise to apply.

Thank you to all our Veterans!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3rd is Election Day and is a professional development day for Smith County school employees. There is no school for students.

Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases and limited staff availability, Gordonsville High School students in grades 7-12 will be remote learning beginning tomorrow, October 12th, until after fall break. School faculty and staff will report to work on time.

We at Smith County Schools hope you have a safe and wonderful Labor Day!

FREE MEALS FOR SMITH COUNTY STUDENTS Due to a nationwide waiver by the US Dept. of Agriculture, beginning Tuesday, September 8th, all Smith County STUDENTS will receive free lunch in addition to free breakfast through December, or until Federal Funding becomes unavailable. Parents will be notified if the program ends before December. Breakfast will remain free all year. A la carte items are not included in the free meal programs. Families that may qualify are still required to complete a Free and Reduced Meal Application ASAP. This will ensure the student’s free or reduced benefit will continue once the USDA waiver expires. You can apply by filling out a paper copy from your school or online at www.lunchapplication.com. Any charges prior to this waiver are still due. This includes past charges from the 19/20 school year, or this school year. Please send those payments to your child’s school or pay online at www.k12paymentcenter.com. There will be NO refunds issued for student’s current balances. Those funds will continue to cover a la carte items and be available when the waiver expires. Virtual learners will also receive free meals until it expires. Virtual learners must sign up for the meal program by contacting the School Nutrition office at 615-735-2321 between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. We hope that all Smith County students take advantage of this opportunity and we look forward to serving them in the school cafeteria.

The Smith County Schools Pre-K Program is currently accepting new applications, and we would love to enroll your child so we can be a part of their future success. Children who are four (4) years of age on or before August 15 for the current school year are eligible. First priority will be given to children who are income eligible. Please call your child's school to enroll. Thank you for considering our program to help set your child on a path to success!

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 and is free and confidential. Join us this month in doing your part by helping raise awareness and help save lives. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 The TN Statewide Crisis Line: 855-CRISIS-1 or 855-274-7471

Due to the large number of COVID-19 positive exposure, 5th grade students at Smith County Middle School will be remote learning starting tomorrow for the next 14 days (9/4 - 9/17). 5th grade students at Smith County Middle School will return to school on Friday, September 18th. This only affects Smith County Middle School 5th grade students. Teachers are expected to report on time.

Free and Reduced Lunch Applications are due ASAP for any family that received free or reduced lunches last year that haven't turned in an application for the 2020-2021 school year. To ensure that you continue to receive the benefits for which your family may qualify, you need to submit a Free/Reduced Application either paper copy from your school or on-line at www.lunchapplication.com.

Please click on this link for Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html

For clarification on the previous message: all schools will continue with the staggered schedules through August 28th which are posted on the district and school websites.

All students attending Smith County Schools (traditional in-person learning) will return to school on Monday, August 31st. Virtual students will continue in the virtual learning program. Virtual Student Parents: If you are not receiving emails from your child's teacher, please check your spam folder.

You still have time to apply for P-EBT but you need to apply this week. The program is available to families with children who qualify for the National School Lunch Program and provides assistance to buy food. More details on the flier. Apply here by August 14. https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/covid-19/p-ebt-and-covid-19-faqs.html

If you received an absentee phone call today and your child is enrolled in the virtual academy or is remote learning today, please disregard. We are working to resolve some issues with our student management system.

Does your child need help with homework? Check out the homework hotline beginning August 10th. The website link can be found under the Parents tab at smithcoedu.com.

Virtual Academy Parents: We are in the process of contacting all of our virtual families today. Due to the volume of calls and parent questions, we may not be able to reach everyone today. If you do not receive a call today, expect a call the beginning of next week.

Welcome Back! August menus are now available. The School Nutrition Department will continue to feed on student remote learning days. Please see flyer for more information. If you have any questions, please call the School Nutrition Department at 615-735-2321.