Following Thanksgiving Break, all exterior doors will remain locked when school is in session — as per state law (Tennessee Code § 49-6-817). All families, vendors, and other guests must ring the doorbell at the 19th Avenue entrance and present an ID to enter USN. We also will welcome Sgt. Anthony Jones and Cpl. Robert Gibson as School Resource Officers patrolling the Edgehill Campus and the River Campus.
By Capt. Aerin Washington, Director of Safety and Security
In accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-817 and effective Monday, November 27, we will lock the 19th Avenue Lobby entrance and require identification for everyone entering the USN building. Everyone will be required to show either their state-issued or USN ID via the camera at the main entrance. If the individual does not have a USN ID, they can have a visitor badge printed at the reception desk. Visitors who park on 21st Avenue and do not have a USN ID will be directed to enter through the 19th Avenue entrance for a visitor ID badge.
Another exciting announcement is the arrival of our new School Resource Officers here on USN's campuses. School Resource Officers are certified police officers who are primarily assigned to a school and provide safety and security-related functions, including emergency response, safety training, traffic direction, and patrol functions. Sergeant Anthony Jones and Corporal Robert Gibson will join the Office of Safety and Security on Monday, November 27. Sgt. Jones will work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cpl. Gibson will work from 2 to 10 p.m. Both will be present on the Edgehill Campus as well as the River Campus. If you see them in the hallways, do stop them and say "hello."
Sgt. Jones has been with the Vanderbilt University Police Department since 2001. He has served in various roles within the department, most recently as a Sergeant with One Hundred Oaks, where he also worked as a bike officer. Sgt. Jones loves helping people and has worked at USN for various events in the past. He is excited to join the USN community officially.
Cpl. Gibson has been with VUPD since 2014. He started at VUPD as a Community Service Officer and transitioned into a police officer role in 2022. He enjoys spending time with his family and biking. Cpl. Gibson is excited to join the team and dive into various campus activities.
Middle and High School Art Teacher Emily Holt will be honored with the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools’ Hubert Smothers Excellence in Teaching Award on Monday, November 9 in Memphis.
Third graders visited Mound Bottom State Archaeological Area for an immersive history lesson and guided site tour that will set the stage for this year's studies in Tennessee history and Native American history.
Middle School and High School Chinese Teacher Josephine Huang has been involved with USN as a volunteer, a parent, and a teacher. Now in her 20th year as a faculty member, Huang's innovative lessons and belief in relationships continue to instill in students a lifelong love of learning.
With trail names like Megawatt, Electric Avenue, High Voltage and Livewire, the mountain bike team knew it was time to pedal out some extra watts for their NICA/TICL State Championships at Raccoon Mountain, and survive the technical trails above Chattanooga full of boulder gardens, rock drops and sandy rubble.
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 speed which helped “wing" Sophomore Claire Dehner to a 4th place podium spot, our first podium appearance and medal for the season.
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.
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.