“There are few words that I can use to explain my gratitude for this program. The NIE Write-On has been such an important part of my classroom writing, and I am thankful to all those who make it possible. There is pure joy in my students’ eyes when I announce, ‘We have a published author!’ on Wednesdays. I will always read the prompt and the entries from Kindergarten. Then I will read the entry from Surgoinsville Middle School, eighth grade, and their eyes will dance as I begin reading because they are listening intently to see if it is their writing. The published author will be honored all day in every class, they will receive a few copies of the paper to take home for bragging rights, and the NIE column for that week will be laminated and hung in the eighth-grade hallway for the entire year. At the end of the year, the laminated articles are packed away in the eight-grade time capsule to be opened upon high school graduation. All students show sadness when I begin announcing that there are only a few more chances to be published in the Times News. They truly enjoy being honored for their hard work, and I’m proud of their efforts and achievements. Thank you for so much for providing this opportunity.”

Mrs. Angelia Hensley
Surgoinsville Middle School, 8th Grade ELA

“The NIE Program has provided my students an open door to developing comprehension and building vocabulary skills. These activities allow creativity while enjoying learning as they read local, state, national, and world articles. Class discussions have aided student understanding of news articles, creating awareness related to life events outside their community. My use of the NIE Program through the years has been a positive experience with building reading excitement in my students. They anxiously wait for me to provide time so they can check various sections in the newspaper, i.e., headlines, sports scores, comics, and horoscopes. Often, I will display the online edition on the classroom Smart Board as we have discussions related to the current news events. This always creates excitement in the room that provides an opportunity for me to encourage further research on the topic. Thus, the NIE program delivers so much more than a newspaper to my students. They receive a view of the world, improve reading comprehension, and develop vocabulary as no other resource available in my classroom. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all persons and businesses that support this program in our classroom providing students realistic resources!”

Charlotte Lady-Livesay
Rye Cove Intermediate School, English 6

“First of all, thank you for allowing me to have the availability of the Kingsport Times News in my classroom again this year. I teach at Pathways Alternative School in Hawkins County as a math teacher. We serve students from the sixth grade through the twelfth grade. My students use the newspaper on a daily basis. I teach middle school mathematics, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Bridges Math, ACT prep, and discuss Life Skills. The Kingsport Times News has been a tremendous help in preparing my students for the upcoming ACT test and required testing/EOCs (End of Course). Many of my students are facing many challenges in the real world. They are trying to find jobs or places to complete community service hours. By using the Kingsport Times News, they are fluent with current events and are doing much better with job interview and community placements for service hours. This has helped my students in the job and/or mentor interview process by improving their communication skills. They are now more confident with themselves in discussing any topic or answer questions. Throughout the years, many parents and grandparents have said to me, ‘Now we have something to talk about.’ The students are going home and talking about the newspaper articles and the Mini Page. Many of them are coming back to school the next day and telling me more about the relationships they are building with their parents, foster parents, guardians, or grandparents. They are so excited to tell me what they discussed at dinner or in the car ride home. They also say, ‘Guess what? I am not in the obituaries.’ I always reply back to them, ‘I see that you have spent the weekend with your grandparents again.’ I am so grateful and appreciative for the opportunity to use the NIE newspapers as a teaching tool. The generations have changed and I am hoping to put the love of reading the newspaper back into my students!”

Christy Waye
Pathways Alternative School, Math & Life Skills

“I have been an NIE teacher for most of the eighteen years that I have taught. I teach third grade language arts at Duffield Primary School. I use the Kingsport Times News to supplement my curriculum by going over text features such as headings and captions. They Write On column is a favorite for my students. Without the generosity of business sponsors, this resource would not be available to my students.”

Heather Hurd, M. Ed.
Duffield Primary School, 3rd Grade

“My name is Kalena Williams. I teach World History at Lee High School and I have participated in the newspaper program for the past 2 years. We receive 10 newspapers on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. When students finish their work, they are required to read a newspaper until class is over. My newspapers are always utilized, especially by my gifted students who work at a faster pace. I always emphasize to my students that the subject we study, for instance WWII, the emergence of the country of Israel, or the Korean War, are related to current news headlines. Their understanding of historic events facilitates their comprehension of our world today, and I firmly believe this understanding created an informed and engaged citizenry. Many of my students come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with limited access to reliable information sources. Most never watch news programs at home or discuss current events with family members. I therefore constantly attempt to connect our curriculum to what is occurring today, and having newspapers right in our classroom is an invaluable tool. I cannot imagine trying to teach without them. Thank you for all that you do. I greatly appreciate this service and feel that it has helped make teaching history more relevant to my students’ daily lives.”

Kalena Williams
Lee High School, World History

“Thank you for finding sponsors to provide newspapers for the classrooms. My students do not typically pay attention to the news or any current events. Most of their information comes off their phones with programs such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. We usually go through the newspapers and talk about what is going on. Recently, they have started selecting stories of their interest and writing summaries about the article they choose. I also teach a unit on job searching. The classifieds were used for the students to select a job listing they were interested with.”

Sean P. Golden, M.A.T., M. Ed.
Volunteer High School, Behavior Modification

“I have enjoyed using newspapers in my classroom. Many students have never used a newspaper before, so I get to teach them everything about newspapers, from how to fold one to how to find information. We use it for grammar skills, spelling, math, current events, science, social studies, music, and so many other areas. Students often ask me if they can take their newspaper home to show a parent, do a puzzle, or read more on a topic of interest. This program reaches far into our community.”

Shaylah Schultz
Blountville Elementary School, 3rd Grade

“The NIE Program has had a huge impact on my students. Students have entered contest, practiced letter writing (letters to the editor), summarized the main points in an article, used key details in an article to support their opinions, and so much more. Students come into the library and ask if they can borrow a newspaper to read. Without this access, many students may never be exposed to a newspaper and the information it provides. Thank you so much for providing this opportunity for our students!”

Suzanne Minga
Sullivan Gardens K-8, Library Media Specialist

“I have appreciated the NIE Program in our schools in order to have my students experience the grammar rules I am teaching in active practice in the newspaper. Students wonder why they must learn grammar, as it is not the most exciting subject for them to experience year after year, but the paper offers the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned and are learning. Not only do they see how grammar and vocabulary is important, but they also see how knowing the rules of grammar support effecting writing. Writing effectively has become essential in the school curriculum in all subject areas. I hope the sponsors of the NIE Program know they are appreciated for helping our students grow as effective writers and students each year.”

T. Bass
Church Hill Middle School, 8th Grade ELA

“The NIE Program keeps students informed of current events. On a weekly basis, my students read the newspaper which generates excellent discussion in government class on the week’s major news stories in international, national, state and local government. Students keep a journal in which they discuss their opinions on various government issues.”

Lee County High School Teacher