As hard as it is to imagine, our schools are fast approaching the last six weeks of our year. As we look back, we are so blessed to have celebrated many successes during the last eight months. From academics to athletics, from fine arts to technology, all of our schools have excelled in numerous aspects of the various programs that make our school system special. Some of these successes have been individual ones, some have been team oriented and others were enjoyed by an entire school. No matter the circumstances, none of them would be possible without hard working students, dedicated staff members and committed parents all pulling toward the goal of a stimulating educational experience for each child.

Invariably, at the end of the year, most of our students are faced with a series of high stakes tests that are used in a multitude of ways to measure the progress of our entire school system. Sometimes we as educators, as well as you parents, think that maybe too much emphasis is placed on a very small sample of our year’s work. Whether we agree with the process or not, it is currently in place, and very soon our students will be getting tested once again. Encourage your children, but don’t place too much additional pressure on them. They have been prepared, and they will perform well. Show confidence in them, and the results will make them feel good about themselves.

Thank you for trusting Haywood County Schools with the education of your children. We are proud of our school system as I hope you are, and we are pulling for all students to excel. With all parties working together, great things are possible. We are always appreciative of your support.
 

George Chapman
Director of Schools in Haywood County
       George Chapman has served as Director of Schools in Haywood County since August of 2000. A native Haywood Countian and a graduate of the Haywood County School system himself, Mr. Chapman received a Bachelor of Science degree in education and mathematics from Memphis State University in 1969 and earned a Master of Education/ Administration and Supervision from Memphis State University in 1989. As a high school math teacher and coach in his home county for 24 years, Mr. Chapman has helped educate many current employees of Haywood County Schools.

In 1993 George Chapman left a successful career in the classroom and moved to the Central Office, becoming Haywood County’s first full-time Technology Coordinator. He had several different assignments during his tenure in the Central Office with the position of Assistant Director of Schools immediately preceding his appointment as Director of Schools.

His peers named Mr. Chapman as the Southwest Superintendent of the Year in 2003 and in 2006. He is currently serving as the representative from the Southwest District for the State Superintendent Study Council as well as a board member for the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents. Governor Phil Bredesen recently named Mr. Chapman as a member of the Tennessee State Textbook Commission for a term of three years. Mr. Chapman and his wife, Gail Eubanks Chapman, have two children. Kate Chapman Steiner, married to Dr. Michael Steiner who is also a graduate of Haywood County Schools, has completed one year of law school at Mississippi College School of Law. Drew Chapman is currently a junior at Mississippi State University. Gail has also made a career in the field of education, and she teaches French at Haywood High School.

 What Do Kindergarten Teachers Really Expect?

Early childhood professionals hear a wide range of what schools expect children to know before they come to kindergarten. Pre-K teachers have heard such things as the children must know their colors, or the alphabet, or how to write their name, etc. Much of what is heard is really a myth, passed on from person to person. In most states the only requirements are that the child be five years old by a certain date and that they have their immunizations up to date.

In 1993, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement funded a study to look at public school kindergarten teachers’ views on children’s readiness for school. Kindergarten teachers said the most important quality for kindergarten readiness is for a child to be physically healthy, rested, and well nourished. A substantial number of teachers also felt that children should be able to verbally communicate their needs and that they be enthusiastic and curious about approaching new activities.

The following is an excerpt from an article in Tallahassee’s Family Forum magazine from 2002. When asked about readiness and the skills necessary for kindergarten entry, Dr. Lucia French, a professor at the Warner School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester stated, “Some parents fear that they have somehow failed to prepare their child if he doesn’t already have substantial academic skills under his belt before he enters school. In the year before kindergarten, it may be possible for children to learn to count and to learn letter names and some letter sounds,” says Dr. French, “but these are not really the important skills for kindergarten readiness. Children can learn numbers and letters easily once they enter kindergarten or first grade. There are much more important things to learn during the preschool years, things that will provide a more important foundation for school success.”

The Action Alliance for Children states that a child is ready when his…

• Approach to learning is confident, curious, and excited, and when he is familiar with books and print, and able to pay attention.
   
• Knowledge and skills are at an appropriate level. For example, he is learning to count, can identify similarities and differences, is learning to write his own name, understands the basic idea that writing represents speech.
   
• General health is being cared for. He gets enough rest and a balanced, nutritious diet and has had necessary immunizations and regular medical and dental care.
   
• Physical skills have matured enough. He has small-muscle skills like holding a pencil and can control his own body (move, run, sit still).
   
• Emotional abilities are progressing. He can work alone, cooperate with others, express his own needs, listen to others, follow simple instructions and handle impulses and negative emotions.

So how does this information affect us in our positions as pre-K teachers? We see that what really matters is that we present children with a variety of experiences and materials which allow children the time and opportunities to grow and develop at their own individual rate.

Source: Matt Devereaus, Ph.D.

Extension Specialist – Early Childhood

Assistant Director of Schools: Doris Battle (battledl@k12tn.net )
Doris Battle earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a major in early childhood education. She holds a master’s of education degree from the University of Memphis in education administration and supervision, and earned a +30 degree from Bethel College. She began teaching in Haywood County at East Side Elementary School in 1983 and stayed there until 1992 when she became assistant principal at Haywood Junior High School. In 1995, she became principal at Haywood Elementary, then moved to the Assistant Director of Schools position in 1997. She also was an adult basic education instructor for 1 year. Mrs. Battle is a member of the Haywood County, Tennessee and National Education associations. She is the chairman of Vision Haywood County Education Foundation and a member of the Haywood County Foundation Education Committee. She serves on the Brownsville Haywood County Civil Service Board and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority of Jackson. She has also served on a number of other community boards and committees since 1990. She and her husband, Walter, have two children, Max and Paige, who both attend schools the Haywood County System.