Area children have one more week to enjoy summer vacation as public schools in Rutherford County register this week before starting classes next Monday.

Murfreesboro City Schools sign up Tuesday while Rutherford County registers Friday. Rutherford has a full school day Aug. 11 when city schools have an abbreviated day with the first full day Aug. 12. City students on the alternative calendar are already in school.

As the new school year begins to crank up, The Murfreesboro Post presents a top 10 (as always it’s 11) of notable new and traditional elements of the 2008-09 school year.

1. The Back to School Celebration grows even bigger after filling MTSU’s Murphy Center to overflowing last year. This year’s celebration will be held Aug. 10 on the Murfreesboro Public Square from 2-4:30 p.m.

The free and open event is a celebration of education with special guests, demonstrations and a fun, festival atmosphere for all students from preschool to high school.

This year’s event kicks off with a Back to School Pep Rally at 2:30 p.m., with emcee Martine Hinds and special guest Miss Teen Tennessee USA 2008 Natalie Phillips of Murfreesboro. Entertainment follows with performances by CHMS Talent Show winners “DYNASTY,” Tennessee Kids and Jump 5’s Chris Fedun.

The first 500 students on the Square receive a lunchbox. Kroger will also present gift cards during the Pom-Pom Giveaway.


Click here to download the Back to School Section.

2. Freshmen students can ease the transition to high school from middle school by attending Freshman Open House that will be held at each county high school at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

3. Because of rising food and labor costs, Rutherford County Board of Education raised the prices of breakfast and lunch for students and visitors for the 2008-09 school year by 25 percent at its Thursday night meeting.

Lunch prices will increase by 50 cents for all and breakfast at a county school will cost 25 cents more for students and 75 cents more for visiting parents.

Currently lunch costs $1.50 for K-fifth and $1.75 for sixth-12 grade. Breakfast costs $1 for all students.

A carton of milk will also cost 40 cents, instead of 30 cents.

4. Making it easier for parents to pay for school lunches, MealpayPlus is available again for students attending Rutherford County Schools.  In order to use the upgraded system, you will have to register your children.  Follow the instructions at www.MealpayPlus.com.

5. Few schools year begin in Rutherford County without a new school opening.

Rockvale Middle School is the latest addition.

Rockvale will serve grades 6-8 and is located directly across Highway 99 from Rockvale Elementary, which now will serve grades K-5. The Rutherford County Board of Education plans to build Rockvale High School on land next to the middle school in the next few years, pending funding approval. Once complete, Rockvale will offer a complete K-12 cluster of schools for the community.

Fred Barlow has been named the principal of Rockvale Middle after serving as an assistant principal at Smyrna Middle School the past three years. Barlow has two primary goals for the school — to make it academically second to none and to build on the strong community traditions.

The new school will hold an open house today at 2 p.m.

6. In its continuing efforts to keep pace with its rising student population, Rutherford County will also open a 14-classroom wing as Christiana Elementary School and redo Buchanan and Campus School.

 In celebration of Christiana’s $4.25 million expansion, the Parent-Teacher Organization is holding a Back To School Brick Bash from 5-8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 23 at the newly renovated school.

7. Dress codes have been a contentious issue for a long time now. Mitchell-Neilson Elementary School in the city system initiates the strictest dress code in the community this year in what Principal Greg Lyles terms an effort to “maintain a safe school environment free of distractions.”

The dress code sets down exactly the styles and colors of school clothing and bans all logos.

8. Shopping for school is a longtime tradition, eagerly looked to by most parents and children.

In recent years, the sales tax-free weekend prior to school opening has heightened the pre-school shopping excitement.

The tax-free weekend, giving a break on school supplies and clothes, began Friday and continues through today.

9. Homework Hotline – Rutherford County is the second largest user of the mid-state area Homework Hotline that reopens Aug. 11. Homework Hotline can provide help for students (or moms or dads) by calling 298-6636 or 888 868-5777.

Homework Hotline has teachers who can help with math, science, language arts, social studies, reading and Spanish.

The hotline is available Monday through Thursday from 4- 8 p.m.

10. School children won’t have to wait long for their first holiday. County and both city alternative and traditional school calendars set Sept. 1, Labor Day, as a holiday.

The next break for all public schools will be Oct. 6-10 for fall break.

City students don’t attend school Sept. 19 and Feb. 13 for staff development.

All schools will be closed Nov. 4 for Election Day and Nov. 26-28 for Thanksgiving holiday.

Winter break begins Dec. 22 for both school systems with county students returning Jan. 5, city students Jan. 6.

Both school systems also observe the Jan. 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Feb. 16 Presidents’ Day, April 10 Good Friday and May 25 Memorial Day holidays.

Spring break for both systems is March 23-27.

And, for school students a long way off is the final day of the approaching school term – May 29.

11. Probably the most exciting part of any school year is the possibility of snow days. While rare in recent years, any snow in the region keeps students glued to television sets waiting anxiously for “ … Rutherford and Murfreesboro city schools.”

School closing information is available from WSM-Channel 4 with its famous Snowbird Report, on city Cable Channel 3 and the school system Web sites.