This annual day of giving encourages families, alumni, and friends of USN to participate in the Annual Fund, which accounts for 6% of our budget. With your help, we will unlock an additional $100,000.
By Justin Gung, Assistant Director of Annual Giving
The month of February is filled with special days: Groundhog Day, Lunar New Year, Super Bowl Sunday, Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, Presidents’ Day, Leap Day, and – most importantly of all – the Tiger Give Back Challenge.
Though not a federal holiday or global celebration (yet), the Tiger Give Back Challenge is one of the most important days of the year for University School of Nashville. It's a special day of "fun-raising" when all are asked to give to the school we love so much.
All gifts received on Tuesday, February 27, go to the Annual Fund. The Annual Fund is a crucial part of the yearly budget and provides Tigers with financial assistance, books, art supplies, athletic equipment, and more. No matter their size, all gifts are important; a gift of $5 or $5,000 makes a difference.
As we pass certain markers — 100 gifts, 200 gifts, 300 gifts — fun prizes are unlocked, such as a Faculty Push-up Contest for the students to watch or a Coffee Cart for our educators. Of course, all this fun is beside the pure joy of giving. Director Amani Reed, a former soccer player and coach, is being a particularly good sport. He’s a fan of Chelsea Football Club, a professional soccer team in England. But, if the school receives 700 gifts, he’ll wear the jersey of hated rival Liverpool Football Club to school. Now that’s commitment!
Tigers, consider the gauntlet thrown. On Tuesday, February 27, will you accept the Challenge?
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.