Riverside High School

🦃 RHS Seniors Shine at the 6th Annual Marty White Thanksgiving Dinner!

_
A wonderful group of Riverside High School seniors and Mrs. Cheyenne Fowler stepped up in a BIG way by volunteering at the 6th Annual Marty White Thanksgiving Dinner, hosted at the Decatur County Elks Lodge. These students worked tirelessly to help prepare, serve, and deliver meals to our senior citizens, veterans, and emergency personnel—the heart of our community.

_
To our RHS seniors who volunteered:
✨ THANK YOU for representing your school with excellence.
✨ THANK YOU for showing leadership beyond the classroom.
✨ THANK YOU for giving your time and your heart to our people.
_
We are also incredibly proud of the White family's contribution and all the volunteers for the impact you made.

_
This is what community looks like. 💛🦃💙

Ever wondered what the high schoolers get up to in the science lab? Sometimes it’s pretty neat! A few weeks ago, Riverside students in the Chemistry 1 and physical science courses had an opportunity to do a lab together! Both classes share a curriculum on light waves and chemical reactions, so Coach Mangrum and Professor Jones had them get together for a cross-curriculum collaboration. Students learned about chemiluminescence and fluorescence, and generally had a blast playing with glowing stuff under black lights.
The professor thought it would be neat to take some videos for the community to see what’s going on, so have a look in the comments section if you want to see those!

Reserved tickets available now for the Riverside Alumni Show on December 13th at 6:30pm

You don't want to miss this show and reserve your favorite seat at the WDPAC

Tickets are $12.00 each at the door or online.

https://rhst.booktix.com/dept/main/e/RHSAlumn/pal/fZFiRZzutPK5HEBomKMU9SBpS

INVITATION TO BIDDERS
_
Sealed bids will be received by the Decatur County Board of Education, Decaturville, Tennessee, until 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025. At this time, bids will be publicly opened and read aloud in the office of the Director of Schools of Decatur County, Decaturville, Tennessee for the following items:

_
HVAC unit for RHS Girls’ Softball Facility.

- (3 Ton) – 4 Head Mini-split heat/cool: To service the coach’s office, restroom, locker room, and weight room.

- (5 Ton) AC only: To cool the batting cage area. Use existing gas heat.

- Upgrade electrical service.

_
Completion date January 15 th , 2025

_
Interested bidders will need to contact Keith Dickson, Facilities Supervisor, to do an onsite inspection of the project.
_
Bids shall be presented in sealed envelopes, plainly marked on the outside with bid to HVAC Softball Project name of person or firm submitting bid, and including contractor license and general liability insurance. Bids will be received only from responsible firms or persons capable of filling same.
_
The board has committed to award bid to the low bidder.
The owner reserves the express right to accept any bid or reject any and/or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.

_
For additional information, please contact:

Keith Dickson, Facilities Supervisor
Decatur County Board of Education
P.O. Box 369
Decaturville, Tennessee 38329
Phone: 731-733-1168
Email:keith.dickson@decaturschools.org

COME AND LEARN ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION

🍂 Join Us for the Decatur County Schools Fall Resource Fair! 🍂

📅 Saturday, November 8th
🕙 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Decatur County Middle School

The Decatur County Schools Special Education Department, in collaboration with the Tennessee Technical Assistance Network, invites you to our Fall Resource Fair!

🌟 What to Expect:

✅ Vendors and organizations supporting individuals with disabilities — including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Employment and Community First Choices, Caregiver Programs, and more!
✅ A special overview session of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for parents.
✅ Door prizes and opportunities to connect with local resources!

🕐 Event Schedule:

10:00 – 10:30: Welcome

10:30 – 11:00: IEP Overview Session

11:30 – 12:00: Door Prizes

12:00 – 2:00: Visit with Vendors

📞 Questions?

Contact Michelle McElrath, Special Education Director

📧 michelle.mcelrath@decaturcountyschools.org

📱 731-852-2391

Come learn, connect, and discover the amazing resources available for our students and families!

INVITATION TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be received by the Decatur County Board of Education, Decaturville, Tennessee, until 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12th, 2025. At this time, bids will be publicly opened and read aloud in the office of the Director of Schools of Decatur County, Decaturville, Tennessee, for the following items:

- HVAC gas pack heat/air central unit in RHS Girls’ Softball Facility.
- Install insulation in the batting cage area.
- Duct work, electrical upgrade, gas piping to be run.

Completion date January 15 th , 2025

Interested bidders will need to contact Keith Dickson, Facilities Supervisor, on November 5 th 2025 at 9:00 am for a pre-bid meeting at the softball field house.
(2740 Hwy 641 South Parsons, Tn.)

Bids shall be presented in sealed envelopes, plainly marked on the outside with the bid to the HVAC Softball Project name of person or firm submitting bid, and including contractor license and general liability insurance. Bids will be received only from responsible firms or persons capable of filling the same.

The board has committed to award the bid to the low bidder.
The owner reserves the express right to accept any bid or reject any and/or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.


For additional information, please contact:
Keith Dickson, Facilities Supervisor
Decatur County Board of Education
P.O. Box 369
Decaturville, Tennessee 38329
Phone: 731-733-1168
Email:keith.dickson@decaturschools.org

To Our Parents, Students, and Community Members,

,
The Decatur County School System was recently made aware of a potential threat involving one of our schools. I want to personally assure you that we take all threats seriously and are fully committed to ensuring the safety of our students, staff, and campuses.

,
At this time, our knowledge and information regarding the situation is limited. However, we can confirm that the individual responsible for making the threat is currently in custody. We are continuing to work closely with law enforcement to monitor and assess the situation.

.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to local law enforcement agencies for their swift response. Their prompt action was instrumental in addressing the situation quickly.

.
We will continue to keep our school community informed. As more details become available, we will share updates through the Decatur County School System’s official website and Facebook page.

.
Thank you for your understanding, support, and continued partnership in keeping our schools safe.


Sincerely,
Mrs. Melinda Thompson
Director of Schools
Decatur County School System

A big thank you to Kolpak, a major employer with a large workforce from Decatur County and a true partner to our schools and community, for hosting an industry tour for Riverside High School students today!

Students had the chance to see real-world applications of their classroom learning, explore potential career paths, and gain firsthand insight into the opportunities available right here in our community. Experiences like this inspire the next generation and highlight the strong connection between our schools and local businesses.

We are grateful to Kolpak for their continued support of our students, schools, and community—investing in the future of Decatur County!

“Riverside’s Newspaper Club is very excited to share the “October Pawprint” with the community. In this newspaper there is a school calendar including all school and sport happenings, daily lunches, and even some community events. Mrs. Christina Barber and Mrs. Ashley McCann have been working with the students in the club for the past month to create this. The students who researched and designed each page are given credit on the bottom of the pages. Please check out our school newspaper!

Email christina.barber@decaturschools.org if you have any community events we should add to the November calendar! “

Most jobs have a start and stop time… but not the job of an educator. 🌟
.
At Riverside High School, our FFA teachers Richie Rhuel and Dustyn Watson go above and beyond their job descriptions every single day. From long hours of training and practicing, to driving students across the state for competitions and events—they are all in for their students.
.
Their dedication doesn’t go unnoticed. Thanks to their leadership, our agriculture students aren’t just participating—they’re excelling! While they may not always be in the spotlight on Friday nights or in front of packed crowds, their hard work, discipline, and accomplishments are just as impressive. And, their team and individual wins are piling up!
.
Agriculture education builds skills that last far beyond high school—leadership, responsibility, and a strong work ethic—and it’s because of teachers like Mr. Rhuel and Mr. Watson that our students are gaining these life-changing experiences.
.
Congratulations to our incredible ag students, and a huge THANK YOU to Mr. Rhuel and Mr. Watson for your tireless commitment. You’re shaping futures—and we see you.

Our Biology lab is going strong at Riverside High School. Honors Biology, used something called dialysis tubing to represent the cell membrane and how molecules move across the membrane. They had to set up the dialysis tubing themselves- which is by itself a difficult task. The kids really enjoyed participating in the lab and learning so much!!

Decatur County Schools is accepting applications for Transition Case Manager/Family Resource Coordinator.

.
Applications may be picked up at the Board of Education Office and submitted to Hugh Smith at hugh.smith@decaturschools.org, or accessed and completed online here: https://forms.gle/thAstGmBW2vAxWgS9
.

The deadline for applying is Friday, September 5, 2025.

.
For more information regarding the Transition Case Manager position, please contact Ms. Michelle McElrath, Supervisor of Special Education, at (731) 852-2391 or michelle.mccelrath@decaturschools.org.

.
Transition Case Manager

Education and Experience: B.S./B.A. in education or a human service-related field . Two years of experience in teaching or services to individuals w/ disabilities


.
Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Serve as the point person for the TSW grant.
2. Review goals and priorities as identified in the TSW grant agreement with LEA management and Transition specialist/supervisor.
3. Collect required documentation so that students can begin receiving one or more of the identified Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS).
4. Coordinate with students and school personnel to reach pre-employment goals outlined in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) (once the student becomes an eligible customer for the Vocational Rehabilitation program).
5. Provide guidance to grant personnel on how to help students achieve employment goals and objectives.
6. Ensure that all student records are properly maintained, stored, and kept confidential at all times.
7. Lead the TSW team to select appropriate curricula for working with students. Implement appropriate curricula or demonstrate creativity in developing programs/training to assist grant personnel. Seek assistance from the VR Transition Specialist as needed.
8. Provide guidance to grant personnel on how to help students receive one or more of the five identified Pre-ETS, in order to make meaningful progress and/or achieve employment goals and objectives.
9. Schedule and attend events and training with the VR Transition Specialist, VR Counselor, and other TSW grant employees to further ensure student goals are met.
10. Notify the VR Transition Specialist/Supervisor of upcoming IEP meetings. Attend IEP Team Meetings to report student progress and to explain the process for referral to VR for IEP Team Members.
11. If the students within the LEA are receiving services from a Community Rehabilitation Provider (CRP), ensure that there is no duplication of services provided to the students.
12. Promptly address student, work site, and/or LEA complaints and work to resolve the problem. Seek guidance from the VR Transition Specialist/Supervisor as needed.
13. Assist students (and their families) in completing necessary documentation for postsecondary education applications and financial aid assistance.
14. Serve as a liaison to the disability services offices within institutions of higher education.
15. If the LEA has a Project SEARCH® site, assist the Project SEARCH® team by recommending and selecting students to complete the year-long internship. Make sure that the VR counselor has all of the necessary material to complete the VR eligibility process.
16. Maintain a high level of confidentiality and a professional demeanor, and represent both the LEA and Tennessee VR in a positive manner at all times.
17. Ensure all Pre-ETS monthly reporting is completed accurately on the forms provided and sent to designated personnel timely each month. Receive referrals from LEA personnel and inform the VR Transition Specialist/Supervisor of any new VR referrals.
18. Stay current on best practices, laws, and regulations related to transition services for students with disabilities. Participate in professional development opportunities to enhance skills and knowledge.

.
Family Resource Coordinator Job Duties:

1. Implementation of goals and objectives
2. Access to the services of agencies and resources within the community and surrounding area.
3. Presenting or coordinating programs/according to needs assessments.
4. Working with all age students, parents, and personnel, respecting racial, ethnic, and cultural diversities.
5. Maintaining a non-threatening approach to families, children, and anyone connected to the program, while encouraging those in need toward empowerment rather than dependency.
6. Working with professional service organizations and knowing their services.
7. Having collaborative skills with agency personnel from throughout the county and working in a professional manner, recognizing confidentiality.

Did anyone get an invitation for Rooms via text or email? ACCEPT IT!!!

Please create an account for school communication and updates.

YOU NEED THIS APP!!! IT'S GREAT!

In your App Store, please download Decatur County Schools.

- Receive instant notifications. Receive instant notifications of new messages and announcements, even if you haven't downloaded the district app.

- Get one unified hub. All school and district communication, updates, and alerts are conveniently located in one single app and web experience, with one single login.

- Message staff in one click. Easily connect with teachers, coaches, counselors, and more, and see all of your messages in one inbox.

Riverside family, We have great news regarding our beloved Riverside “R!” Decatur County School System has received verbal permission from Rice University, through their patent attorney, to continue using their trademarked Old English “R” for non-profit, educational purposes while a low-cost licensing agreement is finalized. This decision allows Riverside—and all of Decatur County—to proudly continue wearing and displaying the Old English “R,” a symbol that has come to represent our school spirit, tradition, and community pride for many years. We will wear it not only with pride, but also with deep gratitude. A special word of thanks goes to Hannah Wood Lee, whose time, dedication, and expertise made this outcome possible. Please take a moment to thank her for her generous efforts in preserving a long-standing tradition that means so much to Riverside High School and to our entire community. GO PANTHERS! Melinda J. Thompson, Director Decatur County Schools

Decatur County Schools Family,

.
As our new administration begins, we are committed to being transparent and open with our community. With that being said, we would like to inform each of you about an issue related to our Riverside High School "R" logo.

.
Recently, the school received a formal notice from Rice University and its licensing company, Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), requesting that we stop using the “R” logo because it is their registered trademark.


.
Although this may seem frustrating or even a little absurd, our legal counsel has confirmed that the request is legitimate. Education attorney Chris Hayden shared,

“CLC is a legitimate organization and the largest collegiate intellectual property management company. The email checks out, and I expect it is valid. If we ignored CLC and they filed an infringement action against us, we would lose. There’s no way our usage of it would fall under fair use or any other infringement exception.”

.
This issue is becoming more common for schools across the country. Attorney Ben Torres, Tennessee School Board Association, also explained that this issue is becoming more common for schools across the country, adding:

“This is a topic that has started to show up more and more with high schools. We’ve even seen this happen recently in Tennessee, like with Cheatham County Middle School. The college may be willing to grant a license at a low cost, or you could negotiate for more time. But removing the logo online is the immediate priority.”

.
Attorney Hayden further explained why Rice University must enforce this issue:

“If an IP owner allows others to use their property without policing it, courts have ruled that they’ve abandoned it. That’s why Rice and CLC have to be aggressive in sending these kinds of letters, even to small rural schools. These companies hire people—and now use AI—to scan the internet daily to find entities using the Rice ‘R.’ And in this instance, they found you.”

.
Director Thompson and the Decatur County Board of Education are actively exploring our options, including:

- Exploring whether a license from Rice University is a viable path forward.

- Evaluating the financial implications of licensing versus rebranding.

- If needed, requesting more time to make necessary changes.

.
While the situation is not one we expected, it does give us the opportunity to consider a future identity that is uniquely and proudly Riverside.

.
We understand this “R” has become a symbol of pride for our students, staff, and community. But Riverside has always been about more than a logo — it's about heart, tradition, and the people who make our Panther family what it is.

.
NOTE: We ask that you refrain from posting or using the Old English R that Rice has trademarked until we have an approved plan of action. Going forward, we will communicate more information as it becomes available.

.
Once a Panther, Always a Panther. Together, we will move forward.

JOIN OUR TEAM:
The Decatur County School System is seeking applications for a Substitute School Nurse.

Applicants must have an Active LPN or RN license with experience in Pediatric Nursing preferred.

Applications may be picked up at the Board of Education Office, 59 West Main Street, Decaturville, TN 38329 or picked up at the Board of Education Office and submitted to Hugh Smith at hugh.smith@decaturschools.org, or accessed and completed online here: https://forms.gle/DTLJ8Jjqwupmq1te8