Meigs: Blue Ribbon School

Meigs Middle Magnet Named a National Blue Ribbon School
Posted on 09/21/2021

Meigs Middle Magnet School is one of six schools in Tennessee to be named a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School by U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. Meigs Middle Magnet students

Meigs, led by its principal, Dr. Samuel Scott Underwood, was nominated in the Exemplary High Performing Schools category of the prestigious national recognition program.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work that Meigs Middle Magnet does to provide a top-notch education focused on academic rigor and social-emotional growth of students in a great learning environment,” said Dr. Adrienne Battle, Director of Metro Nashville Public Schools. “Great options like Meigs within the MNPS family allow us to truly ensure that Every Student is Known within the district.”

In 2020, Meigs suffered damage from the tornado that devastated parts of Nashville, requiring students to relocate to Gra-Mar Middle just prior to schools across the state closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The school building re-opened in the 2020-21 school year at its East Nashville location at 713 Ramsey St.

Meigs serves as an optional academic magnet school for the district and received Blue Ribbon status in 2013 owing to its exemplary academic performance.

“The Meigs family of faculty, students, and parents has truly come together to overcome significant challenges since the tornado ripped through our community and the pandemic upended our way of life,” said Dr. Underwood. “Throughout it all, we have been dedicated to serving the whole child – nourishing their academic needs while attending to their emotional development in this difficult time.”

Meigs, in its nominating application, pointed to its past five years of intentional Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) work as a reason why it should be chosen for this award. The practice of using the “Power of Pause” has “become a belief system, a shared language, and a way of life” allowing “a student to take a breath, quiet [their] mind and try to identify the cause” of their anxiety or unease.

The U.S. Department of Education recognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools this year. They will be honored at a ceremony in November.

MNPS’s Julia Green Elementary School was recognized in 2020.

 

Categories:
Archive News
Tags:
Blue Ribbon,Meigs