Cheatham Achieves

Our schools and the Board of Education office will be closed November 26-28 for Thanksgiving. Classes will resume on Monday, December 1. We hope our families, students and employees have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving! In keeping with tradition, we asked a few of our students what they are thankful for this year. Click on the video above to see what they had to say.

We will be closed on Tuesday, December 2 for the 7th Congressional District U.S. House election. Four of our schools – East Cheatham Elementary School, West Cheatham Elementary School, Sycamore High School and Harpeth High School – are used as voting precincts. This closure will ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff while our campuses are open to the public for the elections. Our daycare will be open on regular hours on this day.

Our second early dismissal day of the 2025-2026 school year is Wednesday, December 3. Schools will dismiss at 11:45 a.m. Lunch will be served for students on this day. Teachers will participate in professional development in the afternoon.

Rocketown has opened a new youth center in Ashland City! Rocketown’s mission is to provide a safe, fun and inspiring space for students to connect, create and grow. Here’s what to know:

• Location: 2212 Oak Street, Ashland City (corner of Oak Street and Frey Street, next to Ashland City United Methodist Church)

• Programming Hours: Monday through Friday, 2:30–6:30 p.m.

• Ages Served: Kids ages 12-18

• Activities Available: Arcade games, recording studio, Esports room filled with top-notch gaming equipment and lobby hangout area with games and space to relax with friends

• Family Dinner: Each Tuesday evening, Rocketown hosts a family dinner, where students and their families are invited to enjoy a free meal together.

For more information, visit the Rocketown website by clicking HERE.

We teamed up with the Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce in 2018 to start the “Shop Local Shop Cheatham" campaign. The goal of the campaign is to encourage the community to be aware of the choice to shop locally, and how that choice positively affects the economic well-being of our county and school district. As you finish up your Christmas shopping this month, we encourage you to shop with our local businesses. A portion of every sales tax dollar spent in Cheatham County goes toward education!

Students will be dismissed at 10:45 a.m. on Friday, December 19 for winter break. Lunch will not be served on this day. We hope our families have a wonderful holiday season, and our students and staff members will return refreshed from the much-deserved winter break. Staff members will return on Monday, January 5 and students will return on Tuesday, January 6. Report cards for the second nine-weeks grading period will be released on Friday, January 9.

Did you know that we have a food bank? It is located at Riverside Academy, and food is available for our students and their families. For more information on how to obtain a box, call Family and Community Engagement Coordinator Claudette Fizer at 615-792-5664, ext. 5012 or email claudette.fizer@ccstn.org. Additionally, food boxes are available at 24 Church in Pleasant View on Wednesday nights at 6 p.m.

We want to remind our families of our inclement weather policy. Inclement weather closures are made when we determine that not all students can safely be transported to school. Our buses travel through every part of the county, and road conditions may vary by location. Should we make the decision to close schools due to weather, families will be notified via an automated phone call and email directly from the district. Please ensure that your contact information is up-to-date in order to receive these important messages. The closure will also be posted on the district’s Facebook, X and Instagram social media platforms and website as well as shared with the Nashville TV stations. If possible, we will notify families about school closures or delays the night before. If the decision to close school is made overnight, families and staff can expect to receive a phone call and email early in the morning. Our goal is to notify everyone by 5 a.m. We also encourage our families to make plans in advance for potential weather-related disruptions. Whether it's arranging for child care, modifying work schedules or ensuring that students are kept safe and warm at home, planning ahead will help minimize stress if school closures occur.

We are excited to announce that we have been named a 2025-2026 Tennessee Arts Academy Arts Partner School System. By supporting our teachers to attend the annual Tennessee Arts Academy Summer Institute, our district demonstrates a commitment and belief in the significant value of arts education in our schools and the important role the arts play in our individual lives and culture. Thank you to the Tennessee Arts Academy for this distinction!

The Cheatham County Polar Plunge will take place Sunday, January 18 at Riverbluff Park, 175 Old Cumberland Street in Ashland City (there will be a pool, not the river). Registration begins at 11 a.m. and the plunge starts at noon. Money raised will help provide sports training and competition for Special Olympics Tennessee athletes in Cheatham County. Create a team and challenge others, join a team, or plunge as an individual. Each plunger needs to register and raise the minimum $75 ($50 for students) to plunge. If you don’t want to plunge, you can still donate to Special Olympics Tennessee. Complete details about the 2026 Polar Plunge can be found by clicking HERE.

We are excited to announce our Classified Employees of the Year for the 2025-2026 school year. These classified employees are the backbone of our schools, and we are deeply grateful for their dedication, kindness and commitment. They will be honored during a special program in May.

• Ashland City Elementary STEM Academy: Lakin Lee

• East Cheatham Elementary School: Jamie Killebrew

• Kingston Springs Elementary School: Robert Hoffman

• Pegram Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School: Alicia Wolfe

• Pleasant View Elementary School: Tarah Perry

• West Cheatham Elementary School: Lena Cox

• Cheatham Middle School: Rebecca Wilson

• Harpeth Middle School: Lori Johnson

• Sycamore Middle School: Lori Hawkins

• Cheatham County Central High School: Kaye Spain

• Harpeth High School: Keri Cross

• Sycamore High School: Angie Temple

• Riverside Academy: Tanya Tyler

Join the Cheatham County Community Enhancement Coalition for an evening of gratitude and inspiration as they honor faith leaders and community members who bring hope and healing to our community. The annual Celebration of Hope program will be held on Tuesday, December 16 from 5:30-8 p.m. at Gateway Church, 1642 Highway 12 South in Ashland City. Enjoy a free “Taste of Cheatham” dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. thanks to local partners. This year’s speakers will share powerful reflections that honor loved ones lost and uplift families walking through grief. You'll also have the opportunity to create a memorial Christmas ornament, which will hang on the Remembrance Tree on the Cheatham County Courthouse lawn (December 17–January 5). For more information, call the Coalition at 615-246-8075.

The Cheatham County School Board is making a change to its meeting schedule for three months in 2026. The monthly board meetings will continue to be held on the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. However, the location is changing only in February, March, and April. The February 5 meeting will be held at Sycamore High School, the March 5 meeting at Harpeth High School and the April 9 meeting at Cheatham County Central High School. The board recognizes the importance of parental involvement in the educational process and rotating the location of the meetings will give individuals another opportunity to engage with their schools in their community.

Email: info@ccstn.org
Website: cheathamcountyschools.net
Location: 102 Elizabeth Street, Ashland City, TN, USA
Phone: 615-792-5664
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccboe1/
Twitter: @CCBOE

Instagram: ccsdtn