From the Director: Keeping a promise

by Vince Durnan, director

Since you'll hear from me less often in our reconstructed monthly USN Newsletter, I am leaving you with the full text of An Educational Safari.
Welcome to what will now be a monthly K-12 newsletter for USN, successor to the weekly version of recent years. Now the weekly offering comes from the Lower, Middle, and High Schools respectively, with content specific to those grade ranges—and it's all in direct response to what we heard last year in surveys and focus groups hosted by Juanita Traughber, our close-listening communications director.
 
So that leaves me clogging your inbox just a little less, but appreciating this opportunity a little more. And to make up for the summer hiatus, there’s a link to an uncommonly voluminous travelogue from last year’s nationwide school visits. For those of you who are new to USN or otherwise not clued into our storyline, here's the premise:

Emerging from our Centennial celebration year, and with lots of nuts and bolts projects completed, the opportunity opened to think more deeply about USN in its optimum next-generation form. Our Board assented when I asked to create a group for visiting schools coast to coast, in search of educational reform happening right now. That ended up meaning more than three dozen campus visits in a basket full of cities, thanks to the kind hospitality of colleagues.
 
Those visits helped us identify key questions to pose to the entire USN community, in a survey taken by more than a thousand constituents, late last spring. The one-line summary of results, referenced directly in the upcoming issue of 2000 Edgehill, our semi-annual magazine, is that people mostly like what we do, though they are open to us bringing initiatives forward.
 
The Board will spend a full day Monday, Sept. 18 considering the best next steps for our school, and I'm grateful in advance for their wise governance. My guess is we'll spend quality and quantity time this year honing in on priorities, and you'll hear progress reports along the way, with chances to weigh in. We're committed to preserving the heart and soul of our current program, while at the same time invoking the spirit of innovation that put our predecessor Peabody Demonstration School here in the first place.
 
To get a sense of what’s out there nationally in terms of rethinking how best to do school, here’s a link to the summary that July provided me time to write, as I promised I would share results last school year. It's too long for a magazine article and too short for a book, but it captures the basics of what we saw and how that registered with our hard working group of intrepid travelers. Any shortcomings are mine—and impressive elements are the work of the group and of our hosts.
 
If you’d like a hard copy (or two), just let me know or stop by the office. Thanks, as always, for reading. Looking forward to my next turn to write.
 
Bravo new USN Newsletter,
Vince
Back

School News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Stokes earns Excellence in Auxiliary Award

    Director of Auxiliary Services Rebecca Stokes was given the Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Collaborative’s award for her work including students in the selection of a new playground, transitioning the school bookstore, refining registration systems and processes for summer camps & enrichment activities, and expanding the school’s cultural and holiday celebrations to be inclusive of USN’s diverse student body.
    Read More

  • Preview USN on November 14

    University School of Nashville welcomes prospective families to tour the Edgehill Campus, speak with students, faculty, and administrators, and learn about our K-12 school's academic, athletic, and arts offerings. Sessions will take place at 9:30 a.m. for Middle & High Schools and 1 p.m. for Lower School. Let us know you are coming at  usn.org/preview.
    Read More

  • Secure your tickets to Artclectic Patrons Party today

    For more than 30 years, Artclectic has been one of Nashville's premier juried art shows, welcoming nationally recognized artists and visitors from across the city to USN's Sperling Gym turned art gallery. The weekend features exceptional artwork, artist demonstrations, student experiences, family activities, and special events that celebrate creativity, with proceeds benefiting USN. Purchase your tickets today.
    Read More
Archive

Athletics News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Mountain Bike Team Takes on Winged Deer Trails, HS Makes Podium Appearance

    Steve Smail
    Winged Deer Park and trails in Johnson City hosted our 4th race on Sunday October 11th, and despite a bit of hurricane outwash winds and showers - and reduced team numbers due to fall break and distance from Nashville - our racers utilized all available skills and fitness aquired which helped “wing" Sophomore Claire Dehner to a 4th place podium spot, our first podium appearance and medal for the season.
     
    Read More

  • HS athletics recaps for September 11-17

    Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.
    Read More

  • MS athletics recaps for September 11-17

    Middle School volleyball and tennis teams are nearing the final games of their seasons, with the competition heating up while the Tigers play to determine their HVAC rankings. Cross country was finally able to race at the River Campus despite the heat, and our mountain biking team traveled to Oakfield, Tennessee, for a high-temperature race weekend.
    Read More

Contact

Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218

Resources

USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.