Brickey-McCloud’s third graders had fun decorating themselves as idioms. Watch the 35 photos here to see “Let the cat out of the bag” and her friend, “Raining cats and dogs.” Or just go with the anonymous guy who named himself “Class Clown.”
You do know about idioms, don’t you. An idiom is a common word or phrase which means something different from its literal meaning but can be understood because of its popular use. As the third grade students marched along the halls, they were cheered on by other students. It will make you smile.
KKB sets two school cleanups in April
Keep Knoxville Beautiful (KKB) invites the community to join them in two school campus cleanups.
Adrian Burnett School in Halls will host volunteers from 3-5 p.m. Friday, April 10, while Vine Middle School will host workers from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22. Both cleanups are through the KKB SchoolScapes program and include beautifying and cleaning up around the school.
Carex Design and AIA are partners for the Adrian Burnett project; while KUB, TVA and the Knox County Community Gardens & Growers Alliance are partners at Vine Middle. Learn more and see results from previous SchoolScapes here.
In Memoriam
Patsy Capps
Patsy Ruth Capps, of LaFollette, Tennessee, was a talented and respected teacher in Campbell County for many years. She passed away April 4, 2026, at age 86. She loved and was loved by her many students. After retirement, she continued teaching her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Ms. Capps also enjoyed singing gospel music with her husband, Marcus, and their children. For many years they sang as the “Capps Family” at churches all over this area.
She was a member of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church. She loved teaching, singing and spending time with her family and friends. Graveside services were held on April 7 at Well Springs Cemetery. The full obituary is here.
Notes & Quotes
Knox County Board of Education will meet on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 5 p.m. at the Summer Place Boardroom, 500 W. Summit Hill Dr., Knoxville. The agenda is here. One interesting item is a transfer of $8.4 million to the elementary/middle school building to serve Mechanicsville-Lonsdale-Beaumont communities. It’s being built on the old Rule High School site, and the transfer funds will come from the school system’s construction budget from other projects.
KCS will host Preschool and Kindergarten Roundup on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, giving families the opportunity to register rising preschoolers and kindergarteners for the 2026-27 school year. Families can begin the enrollment process by picking up an enrollment packet at their child’s zoned school.
Preschool Roundup: Preschool Roundup is open to families of children entering preschool. Thirty-one elementary schools will host events, with times varying by school. A full list of participating schools and times is available at knoxschools.org/preschoolroundup.
Kindergarten Roundup: Kindergarten Roundup is available to families of Knox County children who will be 5-years-old by August 15, 2026. All KCS elementary schools will participate. A list of school-specific times and helpful Kindergarten entry information can be found at knoxschools.org/kindergartenroundup.
West Valley Middle School plans Valleywood, the eighth-grade celebration, for Wednesday, May 13, from 6-8:30 p.m. at The Lighthouse, 6804 Baum Drive, Knoxville. It is co-sponsored by the West Valley PTSO and the West Valley Education Foundation.
Quote: Talent vs Character: “All year we have been saying the (team’s) talent is our floor, but our character will determine our ceiling.” – Cori Close, coach of the UCLA women’s basketball team that won the national championship on Sunday, April 5, 2026.
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