Read on for the latest happenings in USN's Young Naturalist Program.
By Lauren Hagan, Naturalist Teacher
On Tuesday, January 12 and Thursday, January 14, our brave young naturalists ventured out into the cold to observe and compare the beautiful twigs and buds of our kindergarten class trees. We observed the large claw-like buds of the Red Door sycamore, the tiny claw-like buds of the Green Door black cherry, the clusters of buds on the end of the Blue Door swamp white oak twig, and the colorful buds of the Yellow Door dogwood.
In the winter, when the leaves have fallen off the deciduous trees, scientists use the twigs and buds to help them identify trees. Back in the classroom, students observed the twigs and buds more closely and recorded their observations on a recording page. Now, we will wait for the longer hours of daylight and the warmer temperatures to signal these miraculous buds to burst forth into leaves and flowers.
LS Naturalist Teacher Lauren Hagan, Abner King '33, Zoƫ Mathis '33, and Stella Luecke '33 observe a twig from the tree on campus adopted by Red Door kindergarten.
Students made drawings and observations about the twigs and leaves they collected.
Each kindergarten class has a tree on campus that it observes throughout the year.
Peabody Demonstration School's first African-American graduate passed away September 3, 2025. Cassandra Teague Walker '67 returned to her alma mater many times to share her experiences with young students and is featured on the 21st Avenue garage mural.
The National Merit Scholarship Program honors seniors whose PSAT scores show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Congratulations to seniors Darcy Dove, Finch Fleming, Evan Giles, Ismaeel Moskinzada, and Lin Zheng for this honor.
Thank you to the many families, faculty, and staff who have donated their pre-loved books, games, and puzzles for resale. USNA continues to accept donations. Fall Book Frenzy takes place Thursday, September 25 through Saturday, September 27 in Cheek Gym. This annual used book sale benefits the Hassenfeld Library.
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.