PFLAG Nashville facilitates LGBTQ+ info session at USN
Facilitated by members of PFLAG Nashville, this information session introduces High School parents to the essentials of teen LGBTQ+ health and well-being at 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 20 in the Gordon Multipurpose Room.
On Wednesday, September 20, USN will host its fourth annual LGBTQ+ 101 session for High School parents and other guardians facilitated by Jake Martino and Kathy Halbrooks of PFLAG Nashville. The 90-minute event will take place in the Gordon Multipurpose Room; it begins at 7 p.m. with a 45-minute presentation followed by a question-and-answer period.
The presentation will cover the essentials of LGBTQ+ identity and support, as well as information about sexual health specific to LGBTQ+ teens. It is intended for the parents and guardians of all High School students, regardless of their children’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
“This is foundational knowledge for all USN High School parents,” said Director of Counseling Beth Eberl. “Parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or gender non-conforming kids need to know how to support their children. Heterosexual kids have friends who are LGBTQ+; parents of those students need to know how to support their children’s friends, too.”
PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, their parents and families, and allies.
One of the High School’s largest and most active student organizations, USN’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance, seeks to promote a welcoming educational and social environment for all students; to raise awareness of issues surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other nonbinary identities; and to partner with others both in and beyond the USN community on matters of student diversity, equality, safety, and well-being.
Students in grades 5-8 and their families can take USN Evening Class 702: Mah and Pah Jong and Me to learn to play a board game together while benefiting USN's need-based scholarship endowment.
The Helen Meador Summer International Fellowship funded a summer of professional development in South America for Lower School Naturalist Carrie Riley. Through this profound experience, she said she plans to bring these lessons into her teaching, grounding her voice in wonder, joy, and a commitment to protecting the natural world, which she loves.
The impact of USN’s Art Department is not confined to art studios in the Christine Slayden Tibbott Center. Students often engage with art in ways that transcend traditional classroom learning, such as at the opening reception for artist Yanira Vissepó's “Fantastical Views.”
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.
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.
The MTB team returned to the the twisty trails of tranquil Oakfield, TN on Sept 13th to take part in the second race of the season, as part of the 5-race series hosted by the NICA/TICL League.
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.