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Columbia Native keeps the Navy’s newest, most advanced helicopters flying

Story by Lt. Wesley Holzapfel, Navy Office of Community Outreach Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn A 2009 Columbia Central High School graduate and Columbia, Tennessee native is serving with a U.S. Navy helicopter squadron that flies the Navy’s newest and most technologically-advanced helicopter. Petty Officer 2nd Class Alisha Hawkins is a yeoman with the “Grandmasters” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46, a Mayport, Florida based squadron that …

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Studies Show Project-based Learning Leads to Workforce Readiness and Future Success

As a new school year is underway in Maury County, students can expect a new approach to learning that is positively correlated to future job success and college preparedness according to recent studies. Project-based learning (PBL) is defined as a student-centered teaching method that involves a dynamic classroom approach where students acquire deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges …

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Project-based Learning Provides Opportunities for Maury County High School Student

A senior at Mount Pleasant High School, John Robert Daniels has a bright future ahead as he looks to pursue a career in engineering. “Without project-based learning I would have never discovered my passion for engineering, and would probably still be deciding my major and stressing over finding a rewarding career,” said Daniels. Project-based learning (PBL) is another innovative approach …

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Studies Show Technology Gives Experience-Learning Boost in the Classroom

Written by Dr. Chris Marczak Optimism is growing for teachers and school administrators across Maury County, as technology is incorporated into classrooms to bring efficiencies to teachers as well as higher engagement to students. According to IT Opportunities in the Education Market, a study by CompTIA, 78 percent of teachers believe technology has positively impacted their classrooms, and 65 percent …

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Maury Alliance, Maury County Public Schools Announce Education Technology Summit

By The Daily Herald State and local leaders will gather at Columbia State Community College’s Cherry Theater on Tuesday, April 25 for a community-wide panel forum to discuss ways technology is transforming education in Maury County. The forum will start at 6 p.m. Among the questions the event aims to answer: How are Maury County Public Schools shifting the educational …

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Survey Reveals MCPS Teachers are Optimistic

By The Daily Herald A recent study shows Maury County educators feel more positively about their school system than they did last year. The study, conducted by Bryant Research in conjunction with Mary Beth West Communications, reveals an increase in education professionals’ overall rating of Maury County Public Schools over an identical questionnaire sent to teachers in May 2015. Educators …

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Three Ways You Can Empower Students as a tnAchieves Mentor

Written by Julius Johnson, tnAchieves mentor and former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture One hour of your time each month could change a student’s future. That’s what being a tnAchieves mentor is all about: making small investments that pay big dividends in the lives of our youth. Maury County is on the hunt for new mentors in time for the application …

Mount Pleasant Unveils Nation’s First K-12 STEAM Campus

The small town of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee is embarking on a first-in-the-nation program aimed at transforming education in the community and beyond. Dr. Ryan Jackson, executive lead principal of the Mt. Pleasant Arts Innovation Zone, announced Wednesday the formation of the country’s first K-12 STEAM campus, a collaborative effort involving the town’s three schools and a group of local and …

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Maury County Principal Named Finalist for Tennessee Principal of the Year

On Thursday, September 1 Education Commissioner Candice McQueen named Dr. Tina Weatherford, Principal of Joseph Brown Elementary, a finalist for the Tennessee Principal of the Year award. This is an annual award given to a school principal  who has shown outstanding service, exceptional leadership, drives overall improvements in their school and has a track record of exceptional gains in student …