Lamar School

Lamar School

I am a Cherokee working to be the best that I can be!

 

The Cherokee Chronicle

December 2025 Family Newsletter

Principal's Message

Lamar Families,

During this Holiday Season, I am so thankful and blessed to work in
this school community and see your child progress academically
and mature socia-emotionally! This progress does not happen overnight or by accident and a huge shout out to our teachers, staff, and families for making this happen!

Check out the hard work of our K-5 students and middle school music classes at our Winter Concert on December 2 at 6 PM. Fliers are below.

Another reminder, 3-8th grade students will be taking their Winter Mid Year MVPA Benchmark in December. These mid year assessments mirror what students will see on their TCAP for grades 3-8. For grades K-2, students will take their Winter AIMSWeb Assessment. The data from these assessments allow the school to cater instruction for your child inlcuding RTI support. Please talk to them about the importance of doing there best on these tests!

Finally, please make sure you are signed up for the WCDE App by clicking HERE. This system will send  alerts including school closure information via text message.

If you have any questions or if I can be of assistance, please call the school at 423-753-1130 or email me at merrimanm@wcde.org.

Respectfully,


Mark Merriman, Principal

Mr. Merriman
 

We are thrilled to announce that Mrs. Widner, Lamar School’s outstanding CTE teacher, has been selected as the Washington County Schools District Teacher of the Year! This honor is truly well deserved and reflects her incredible dedication, creativity, and commitment to our students and community. Congratulations, Mrs. Widner, we are so proud of you!

 

🎉December Cherokees of the Month🎉

 

✅ ATTENDANCE ✅

🎉 October Attendance Incentive Winners 🎉

Congratulations to Mrs. Sanders’ 6th grade homeroom for achieving the highest attendance percentage for October with an impressive 98.2%! Their dedication and teamwork paid off in a BIG way—they earned the chance to silly string Mr. Merriman! Way to show up and show out, 6th grade! Keep up the amazing attendance!

 

🎉 November Attendance Incentive Winners🎉

👏 Congratulations to Mrs. Ball's 2nd grade homeroom for having the Most Improved Attendance in November — improving by an awesome 1.5%! 

🏆 Shoutout to Mrs. Sanders' 6th grade homeroom for earning the Best Attendance percentage for November at an incredible 96.6%! This is the 2nd month in a row!

Both homerooms will be enjoying a pie party to celebrate their attendance!

Way to go, Cherokees — we’re extra thankful for students who show up, shine bright, and stay on track! 💚💛

 

☕ December Attendance Incentive ☕

 

📅UPCOMING EVENTS

red ribbon

🎶 Lamar School Winter Concert ❄️💚💛

Join us for a magical evening of music as our Kindergarten–5th grade students take the stage for the Lamar School Winter Concert! 🎤✨

📅 Monday, December 2nd
🕕 Concert begins at 6:00 PM
🚪 Doors open at 5:30 PM
📍 Lamar School Gym

Come enjoy the sounds of the season and celebrate the incredible talent of our students! 🎄🎵

 
 
 

💚💛 STUDENT & FAMILY SUPPORTS 💚💛

Smart Social

DECEMBER LIVE EVENTS

**📱 Is Screen Time Pulling Your Child Away?

It can feel scary to slowly lose your child’s attention to a device. You’re not alone if you struggle to find the balance between keeping them safe online and allowing them their privacy.

One of our event tips from Tech Expert Sarah Kimmel says, “The internet goes to bed when everyone goes to bed.” She stresses the importance of setting limits on how late kids can be online and gives practical ways for you to implement this easy rule.

For more, join our LIVE parent event, “Is Screen Time Pulling Your Child Away? Balancing Parental Controls & Student Privacy.”

Event Details for ‘Is Screen Time Pulling Your Child Away’:

📅 3 Dates to Choose From: December 2, 9, & 16

💻 Virtual event online

🔗 [Reserve Your Spot Now]

(Register to get a free replay if you miss the event)

 

**✨ 7 Quick Tips for Healthier Screen Time:

“I think one of the problems we make as adults is treating cell phones and social media as a necessary marriage, and it doesn’t have to be the case. Middle school is an appropriate age for a phone, but maybe not for social media.”

This is the sound advice given by a school district leader in our upcoming event, “7 Quick Tips for Healthier Screen Time: Reduce Arguments & Build Positive Digital Habits.”

Join us to learn more tips to help turn screen time arguments into easy conversations for your family.

Event Details for ‘7 Quick Tips for Healthier Screen Time’:

📅 December 3rd

💻 Virtual event online

🔗 [Reserve Your Spot Now]

(Register to get a free replay if you miss the event)

 

**🎮 Roblox & Minecraft Safety Night:

If your child is on Roblox or Minecraft, you need to learn how the games are played, the REAL dangers, and the protection options you have.

Many parents are surprised to learn how much chatting with strangers, trading with actual currency, and exposure to violent or adult content are experienced by their young children.

Our #1 tip for parents when it comes to Roblox is to use parental controls to turn off the option for their child to chat with others. This severely limits the opportunity for strangers to approach your child within the game.

Join this LIVE parent event, “Roblox & Minecraft Safety Night: Understand the REAL Dangers & Guide Your Child with Confidence,” to see what is really happening inside these games and how you can make them safer for your kids to play.

Event Details for ‘Roblox & Minecraft Safety Night’:

📅 December 11th

💻 Virtual event online

🔗 [Reserve Your Spot Now]

(Register to get a free replay if you miss the event)

 

**🇪🇸 ¿El tiempo frente a la pantalla está alejando a su hijo?

Aprenda cómo equilibrar los controles parentales y la privacidad de su hijo mientras reduce el tiempo de pantalla y evita discusiones en casa. Sesión completamente en español para apoyar a nuestras familias hispanohablantes.

Sesión en Vivo en Español**

Miércoles, 17 de diciembre a las 7 p.m. ET - Regístrate hoy

 

📣🏀ATHLETICS🏀📣

 
sports

Lamar families,

As we begin to host athletic events again after the reopening of our gym please remember that students may not be dropped off at sporting events. All students/children must be accompanied by an adult and remain under their supervision for the duration of the event. Students who arrive without an adult will not be admitted. In addition, student behavior at events can affect their ability to attend future games.

We also want to share the Washington County Schools' updated 2025–26 Gate Prices:

  • Adults: $6

  • Students: $2

  • Families (immediate family only): $12

Thank you for supporting our athletes and helping us maintain a safe and positive environment at all sporting events!

 

💚SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL💚

💚💛 Lamar School is Accepting Prize Donations! 💛💚

Through our Kind Cherokees initiative, we’re proud to promote and reward positive behavior throughout our school! Students earn positive points in Rooms that they can “spend” on fun rewards. Each grade level has its own rewards menu featuring both non-tangible prizes (like lunch with a friend, a concessions pass, time with K-9 Winston, or even being Principal for the Day!) and tangible prizes that keep students motivated and excited.

We’re seeking donations to help keep our prize inventory stocked! 🎁

💚 Small Prizes: pencils, erasers, stickers, keychains, tiny stuffies, etc.
💛 Medium Prizes: small toys/stuffies, coloring books, jump ropes, etc.
💚 Large Prizes: water bottles, t-shirts, Legos, earbuds/headphones, hats, small electronics, large stuffies, basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, board games, etc.

Please keep in mind that we need prizes for all grade levels (PreK–8th Grade).

Donations may be dropped off at the Lamar School office.

💛💚 Thank you for supporting our Kind Cherokees and helping us celebrate positive choices every day! 💚💛

 
school bucks

🎉 2025-26 Food City School Bucks Challenge is here! 🎉

Earning money for our school is as easy as grocery shopping — but don’t forget, you MUST re-link your ValuCard every year!

Food City is giving away $800,000 to schools for classrooms, equipment, and supplies. Every time you shop with your linked ValuCard, our school earns points — and the more points we collect, the bigger share of the cash we receive!

👉 Linking is quick and easy: just log into your Food City account at https://www.foodcity.com/schoolbucks, choose Lamar as your school, and you’re set for the year.

Don’t have an online account? No worries — check out this helpful video!

Let’s make every grocery trip count for our students! 🛒🍎

 
box tops

📱✨ Make a BIG Impact in a Small Way! ✨📱

Supporting our school is easier than ever with Box Tops for Education!
Just buy participating products, scan your receipt with the Box Tops app, and watch the earnings add up for our school.

💡 No time to scan? Link your Walmart account and earn Box Tops automatically!
💰 Twice a year, our school gets a check that helps teachers and students succeed.

Let’s come together to give our kids more opportunities to shine.
👉 Download the app today and start scanning!

🔗 Learn more at BTFE.com

 
Lamar PTA

https://lamarschool.givebacks.com/store/items/66366

 

🍴SCHOOL NUTRITION🍴

 

📅SCHOOL LOGISTICS⏰

 
 
Early dismissal
 
Cherokee

Email: merrimanm@wcde.org
Website: https://www.wcde.org/o/ls
Location
: 3261 Hwy 81 South, Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: 423-753-1130
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LamarSchoolTN