PPE PTO Newsletter – Friday, January 9th, 2026
Important Dates
Note: Dates are subject to change. The BEST way to stay updated is with our PTO Google Calendar – view and subscribe here!
- January 9th: Club sign ups begin – please see information below and review your child’s Friday folders!
- January 15th: Report cards issued
- January 19th: MLK Day (District closed – Students do not report)
- January 25th: PPE Night with Belmont Bruins Basketball
- January 30th: Family Dance (more info below!)
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February 2-6: Teacher Appreciation Week
SCHOOL UPDATES
ADVOCACY COACH APPRECIATION WEEK
MNPS has announced that next week, January 12-16th will be MNPS Advocacy Center Coach Appreciation Week. The Advocacy Center and Advocacy Center Coach Position have been an MNPS initiative for the past 5 years. During that time we at Percy Priest have been fortunate to have AK Tanner in this role. This week families and students are invited to show your appreciation for Mrs. T. Students and families can write thank you notes or celebrate Mrs. T in any way that shows our appreciation. Thank you Mrs. T and thank you to all of our families for helping show our appreciation.
MNPS School Start Time Survey and Conversations
The districtwide survey on school start and end time options is now live. We encourage families and staff to take a few minutes to review the proposed models and share feedback.
This week, MNPS is also hosting several in-person and virtual town halls to provide an opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and engage in conversation. The latest updates on the study and models, along with dates, times, locations, and the survey link are all available on the MNPS School Start Times website.
No decisions have been made at this time. Feedback from the survey and town halls will be reviewed alongside transportation and operational analysis before any recommendation is brought forward.
OPTIONAL SCHOOLS INFORMATION & PATHWAY CONTINUATION FORMS
The MNPS Optional Schools Application for the 2026-2027 school year will launch on Tuesday, January 20th. Applications for optional schools must be submitted by Friday, February 6th. A few notes on the optional schools process:
- Percy Priest is part of the optional schools process. Each year the number of available spots for students in grades K-5 is determined based on our enrollment projections.
- If you are a current preK family living outside of our school zone and wish for your student to remain at Percy Priest for kindergarten, you will need to reapply to be considered for the lottery.
- If you are a current K-4 family attending Percy Priest through the lottery process, you do not need to reapply to remain at Percy Priest next year.
- If you are a 5th grade student attending Percy Priest through the lottery process and you wish to continue to our pathway feeder school, J.T. Moore Middle, you will need to complete a pathway continuation form.
- This is separate from the process for applying to the preK lottery. The preK lottery for 2026-2027 will open on March 2, 2026. A reminder that all preK spots are lottery based, but there is a sibling and zone preference for the preK lottery.
For more information about optional schools, including entrance qualifications for academic magnet schools, please visit https://www.mnps.org/learn/register-for-school/school- options. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
PERCY’S PRESENTS THANK YOU!!
Wow! Because of YOU, this holiday season was filled with hope and joy for so many families, including some of our own PPE families and some families at Norman Binkley Elementary.
Your kindness showed up in big ways! Every family you touched is deeply thankful and we got to witness that through hugs, happy tears, packed trunks, and heartfelt messages of gratitude on Christmas Day.
Together, we created a ripple of generosity that reached across our Nashville community. What an incredible gift!
Thank you for being a light and blessing to so many. Your impact will be remembered!
SECOND SEMESTER CLUBS
SEL + STEAM CLUB SPRING 2026
(social & emotional learning +science, technology, engineering, art & math)
With Mrs. Lester & Mrs. Strobel
Who: K-2 Tigers
What: Develop & encourage independent learning, spark imagination, creativity, exploration,
socialization & SO MUCH MORE!
FULL STEAM AHEAD…
Where: Mrs. Strobel’s Classroom
When: Thursdays…dismissal – 4PM
January 22, 29
February 5, 12, 19 ,26
March 5, 19, 26
April 2(pick up will be behind the pre-k playground)
Cost: $200 for 10 sessions (snack provided)
checks payable to Ashley Strobel or
Venmo@Ashley-Strobel-2
Email NOW to save a spot: lovie.lester@mnps.org
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Wonderful Wednesday Spring 2026
Spring Session with Mrs. Dick & Mrs. Condra begins soon!
Mark your calendars: January 21- April 1
Calling all kindergarten & first grade students to join in on the afternoon fun!
Enjoy stories, art, STEAM, painting, group games, building, & MORE! Develop new friendships, learn new skills through fun & interactive play, & develop a sense of confidence!
WHERE? Mrs. Dick & Mrs. Condra’s Classrooms
WHEN? Wednesdays, Dismissal @ 4:00
January 21, 28 February 4, 11, 18, 25 March 4, 18, 25 April 1 PICK UP? Back of School Main Doors @ 4:00
COST? $200
(includes after school hours facilities fee, insurance, supplies and snack) (Venmo @Bitsi-Condra, please)
SIGN UP TODAY!
Complete the form & turn bottom portion to Mrs. Dick or Mrs. Condra Questions? murray.dick@mnps.org
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Builders Club
*Calling all K-2nd Graders
Does your child like to build? Then this club is just right for him/her.
Builders Club, an after-school activity for K-2nd grade students, is filled with problem solving, imagination, self-expression, math skills, spatial sense and motor abilities, creativity, and social and emotional growth.
*The Spring Session with Ms.Faison and Ms.Wall begins in January.
*12 Sessions: Tuesdays or Thursdays after school till 4:00.
Tuesdays ~ Jan. 20, 27 Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24 Mar.3, 17, 24, 31 Apr. 7, 14
Thursdays ~ Jan. 22, 29 Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26 Mar. 5, 19 Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23
Cost? – $240 check made to Laura Faison or VENMO @Laura-Faison
**When you pay, please put your child’s first and last name in the memo of your check or the “What’s this for?” section in Venmo plus Tuesday / Thursday BC. (ex. Terri Wall Thursday BC)
**Snacks are not provided. Please send a snack from home. Thank you!
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CHESS CLUB
The PPE Chess Program has a couple of open spots. The Program meets on Wednesdays after school until 4:20pm. Please contact Coach Igor at igorzhislin@gmail.com for more information.
USED BOOK SALE
Used Book Sale – Donations needed!
Are your kids eager to read new books? Are they ready to move on to more challenging content? Gather the old books and make room for the new: the Used Book Sale is happening in February, and we need donations. We welcome books that are appropriate for Pre-K through 5th graders, and we especially need chapter books.
A donation bin is outside of the front entrance of the school.
We will need volunteers to help during the sale in February, so be on the lookout to sign up for that in the future. Feel free to reach out to Jamie Kuhlman, jamiekuhlman@gmail.com, or Avery VanPelt, avery.t.vanpelt@gmail.com, with any questions!
January 30 Family Dance
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 2026 PPE AUCTION PARTY
Auction Party: Open your brand new 2026 calendar and add PPE’s A Night of Wonder to April 11 from 6-11pm. You won’t want to miss the cirque-style performers from Beyond Wings, Magician Ramtin sharing excitement and wonder with guests, or incredible live music/DJ from RHYTHM. Tickets will go on sale soon for a spectacularly fun night that is an incredible benefit for PPE.
Silent Auction: There are already so many amazing items secured for the silent auction! We are fortunate to have a strong index of connections but are always looking to expand the network and add more excellent items/experiences to the catalog.There are a handful of categories and specific businesses we’d love to include this year so if you have connections to Southall Farm & Spa, Arrington Vineyards, McCabe Golf Course (or other golf courses), Woodhouse Day Spa (or similar), or Lucky Ladd Farm please email PercyPriestAuction@gmail.com. Though the party is a ticketed event, the silent auction is accessible online and can be shared with family and friends.
FUNDRAISERS
SMALL FUNDRAISERS
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