Dear Matador Students and Families,

The school year is coming to a close and on behalf of the faculty and staff of JT Moore Middle School, thank you for being on this journey with us, for your kindness, patience, and support, and for being supporters of our public school system here in Nashville.

This has been a year like none other, but I am excited to say that school will return to a more normal experience when we return in August for the 2021-22 school year. Students will once again be changing classes instead of staying in one classroom all day. There will not be virtual school and Florida Virtual will also disappear. We will again have sports and clubs and drama productions. We will have our PTO sponsored events like the carnival, Motown, and the parent-faculty basketball game. We do not know about where we will be in terms of mask wearing but we should have more guidance on that issue in July. I’m praying that more citizens will get vaccinated so that mask wearing will become a distant memory.

As we close out this year, we say goodbye to Dr. Ricardo Cannon, one of our special education teachers. He is headed to Cane Ridge High School to teach so that he can be closer to home and to his daughter’s school when she starts school this fall. We also say farewell and good luck to Mr. Andrew Marino, our 8th grade science teacher. He is headed off to medical school! Congratulations Mr. Marino! We also will be wishing Mrs. Beverly Bryant farewell after her decades of service to the children of Metro Nashville Public Schools. Mrs. Bryant is retiring from her role as a special education teacher and will be able to spend more time with her grandchildren. We also send our love and fond farewell to Mrs. Kelly Stanford, our 7/8 ELA teacher. Mrs. Stanford and her family have moved home to Mississippi to be near her family. Mrs. Kayte Strange, our wonderful 5th/6th grade guidance counselor, will be taking a few years off to stay home with her toddler and her 3 month old baby. Finally, we say good luck and farewell to Ms. EmmaJulia Jones, our 5th grade team leader and math teacher as she moves to Bellevue Middle School to be the 7th grade team lead. We will miss each and every one of these educators and wish them peace, happiness, and success as they embark on diverging roads and journeys.

I am sorry to say that Mrs. Brooke Elder will be returning to JT Moore again next year as her new job as Snoop Dog’s backup singer and dancer on his new tour did not work out.

Parents of current 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students, if your child is not returning to JT Moore next school year but will be attending a private school, homeschool, or charter school, you will need to officially withdraw your child from Metro Nashville Public Schools. Please contact Mrs. Elder in the front office for assistance. If your child will be attending an MNPS magnet school, you do not need to do anything.

School will dismiss for the summer on Tuesday at 12:15. There will be no YMCA Fun Company aftercare that day. All students must be picked up on time to go home. Busses will run as usual.

I hope you all have a safe and happy summer! We look forward to seeing you in August!

Dr. Gary D. Hughes, Executive Principal, JT Moore Middle School