BTCS News in maroon horizontal background with Castle image

A publication of Bristol Tennessee City Schools

Fall 2025

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Therapy Dog Dolly Joins the Pack

A small brown and white Goldendoodle puppy wearing a pink harness sits on a maroon and white football field at night. Stadium lights shine above as players and fans gather in the background during a school event.

Lovable, energetic, and full of personality, Dolly is the newest therapy dog joining Bristol Tennessee City Schools.

The F1B Goldendoodle, who was named by THS students, is known for her playful spirit, wagging tail, and knack for making everyone smile. She’ll provide comfort and joy to students and staff at Tennessee High School while spreading cheer wherever she goes.

Sponsored by Friendship Automotive Enterprises, Dolly joins Jingle and Honey in helping brighten days across the district.

Read more about Dolly.

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Tennessee High's Dominic Shipley Named National Merit Semifinalist

A three-panel graphic recognizing Tennessee High School senior Dominic Shipley as a National Merit Semifinalist. The left panel features the National Merit Scholarship Program logo with the word “Semifinalist” beneath it. The center panel shows Dominic standing beside the large Viking Rock at Tennessee High, painted with the school’s Viking mascot. The right panel displays his formal senior portrait, where he is wearing a tuxedo and smiling.

Tennessee High School senior Dominic Shipley has been named a 2026 National Merit Semifinalist by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation—one of only 16,000 students nationwide to earn this distinction.

A 4.0 student with standout scores on the PSAT, ACT, and SAT, Dominic is active in Robotics, Interact, STEM Club, Scholars’ Bowl, Science Bowl, and track and field, where he has qualified for sectionals both his sophomore and junior years. He has also earned multiple OSHA and NCCER certifications through Career and Technical Education and completed the United States Coast Guard Academy’s AIM program.

Dominic plans to study mechanical engineering, with top college choices including MIT, Tennessee Tech, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

Reflecting on his time in BTCS, Dominic fondly recalls serving as a library worker in elementary school and cherishes his experiences at track sectionals in high school. Outside the classroom, he enjoys mountain biking, skiing, hiking, and reading. His journey through Anderson, Avoca, Tennessee Middle, and Tennessee High Schools reflects our district's commitment to supporting students from their earliest years through graduation.

Congratulations, Dominic, on this outstanding accomplishment! Your dedication, leadership, and excellence make the BTCS community proud.

Read more about Dominic’s accomplishments.

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Thank You for Sharing Your Voice

Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent ThoughtExchange about the core values that should guide Bristol Tennessee City Schools. We’re grateful for the thoughtful ideas and perspectives shared by families and staff across our district.

Your feedback is helping us better understand what matters most to our community and will play an important role in shaping our shared values. We look forward to sharing the results and next steps soon!

Graphic with the words “Thank you!” above a row of illustrated families holding hands. Each person has a thought bubble above their head, representing the exchange of ideas. Logos for Bristol Tennessee City Schools and ThoughtExchange appear at the bottom.
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Music in the Castle Marks Its 73rd Year

The Tennessee High School Mighty Viking Band performs on the field at night under bright stadium lights during a marching band competition. The band forms a large “V” formation at the 50-yard line while color guard members with white flags are spread across the field. The performance takes place at Stone Castle Stadium with spectators visible in the stands.

The sounds of live marching band music once again filled the Stone Castle as Tennessee High hosted the 73rd annual Music in the Castle on October 4.

This year’s competition brought together 22 marching bands from across the region for a day of spirited performances, camaraderie, and musical excellence. Families, alumni, and community members packed the stands to cheer on the performers and celebrate a proud Viking tradition that continues to unite generations through music and school pride.

Exhibitions were given by the Tennessee Middle School Band, the Tennessee High School Mighty Viking Band, and the ETSU Marching Bucs.

GRAND CHAMPIONS

Class A/AA: Campbell County

Class AAA/AAAA/AAAAA: Science Hill

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A logo featuring a large orange basketball in the background with the words "The Classic" written in bold maroon script across the front. Below it, "at Tennessee High School" is written in smaller maroon text. At the bottom, it says "Presented by Toyota" in red, with a Toyota logo next to it.

Mark your calendars for The Classic at Tennessee High School presented by Toyota of Bristol.

December 26-31, 2025
Viking Hall

Don't miss the live team draw on November 12 at Toyota of Bristol! Fans at the event will get the first look at this year's bracket AND have the chance to win free tickets.Tickets go on sale in November.

www.thsclassic.com

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BTCS Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2025

A large group of men and women stand together on a gymnasium floor in front of maroon curtains and a black backdrop. Many are wearing medals around their necks, and several individuals are dressed in Tennessee High’s colors of maroon, black, and orange. One woman is seated at the front, and others stand in rows behind her, smiling for the photo. The group represents the Bristol Tennessee City Schools Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 during their induction event at Tennessee High’s Viking Hall.

The Bristol Tennessee City Schools (BTCS) Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 was inducted on September 7 at Tennessee High’s Viking Hall.

Host and emcee Paul Johnson presided over the ceremony, recognizing individual athletes, teams, coaches, and special contributors who have made noteworthy contributions to the school district’s athletic programs at Tennessee High School and Slater High School. Tennessee High School, established in 1916, and Slater High School, which served black students from 1919 until its integration with Tennessee High in 1965, both boast a rich tradition of athletic excellence.

The 2025 class of the BTCS Athletic Hall of Fame includes 23 individuals and three teams from various sports and eras. Read more about the inductees.

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Graphic announcing the 2026 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year. The design features a maroon and white background with the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS) 50th anniversary logo in the top left corner. On the right, three people stand together smiling—Dr. Annette Tudor in a green dress holding a large glass trophy, with a man in a dark suit and a woman in a light blue dress beside her. Text reads: “2026 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Annette Tudor, Director of Schools, Bristol Tennessee City Schools.”

Congratulations to Dr. Annette Tudor on being named the 2026 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year!

Dr. Tudor was selected from among eight regional finalists across the state for this distinguished honor, which recognizes exceptional leadership, vision, and commitment to student success. Presented by the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents, the award honors superintendents who demonstrate outstanding service and dedication to their districts and communities.

Under Dr. Tudor’s leadership, BTCS has continued to strengthen its culture of excellence—expanding innovative academic pathways, fostering meaningful community partnerships, and maintaining a steadfast focus on ensuring success for every student.

We are incredibly proud of Dr. Tudor and the statewide recognition of her remarkable leadership and impact. She will represent the state of Tennessee at the 2026 AASA National Conference on Education in February. Read more about this prestigious honor.

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BTCS receives the RTI2-A + RTI2-B Change Makers Award for 2024-2025

The RTI2-A + RTI2-B Change Makers Award recognizes outstanding school districts that have promoted lasting change through an ongoing commitment to aligning and improving their districtwide tiered student support frameworks during the 2024-2025 school year. Tiered student support frameworks are layers of support designed to meet the needs of all students.

BTCS was selected for its excellence in building responsive systems that support student growth, its commitment to high-quality coaching and professional learning, and its consistent alignment of supports across schools. The district will soon share its practices as a Model of Demonstration for school systems across Tennessee.

RTI2A plus RTI2B "Change Makers Award" text encircling a blue logo which is three four-point stars with a fifth point of the star the head of a person making the stars look like people

The Tennessee Tiered Supports Center, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education, has named Bristol Tennessee City Schools a recipient of the 2024-25 RTI²-A+B Change Makers Award.

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Healthy Schools Newsletter, October Edition. The flyer is a quarterly newsletter from Bristol Tennessee City Schools about student health. It includes four sections: Returning Student Information Update for 2025–26: Parents and guardians must complete an update in PowerSchool to ensure schools have current emergency contacts, medical information, and required data. Steps to complete the form are listed with the website link. Did You Know That Healthy Children Learn Better?: Describes how healthy habits—such as balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate sleep—improve focus, behavior, creativity, and overall well-being. Returning to School After Illness: Lists conditions for when students may return, such as being fever-free for 24 hours without medicine, or cleared by a medical provider after vomiting, rash, or eye drainage. Flu Clinic Date: October flu clinic at Tennessee Middle School, 2:30–6:00 p.m., open to all BTCS students, with instructions for parent or guardian attendance and documentation requirements. The flyer ends with contact information for Christina Dollar, Lead Nurse, and Sarah Daniels, Coordinated School Health Coordinator. The design uses shades of brown and maroon with playful health-themed graphics.
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Colorful flyer for “Trunk or Treat” hosted by Communities In Schools Appalachian Highlands in partnership with BTCS. The graphic shows a green car trunk decorated with googly eyes and the event details: Thursday, October 23, 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Tennessee Middle School. Highlights include games, food, prizes, trunk decorating contest, food trucks (2 to Taco and Sunset Slush), giveaways, and candy. Costumes encouraged. A QR code allows sign-up to decorate a trunk. The flyer notes the first 100 people will receive a voucher for a free hotdog or popcorn at the THS football game. Contact information for Ashton Rosenboro and CIS logos appear at the bottom.
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Safe School Helpline-Break the Silence-Prevent the Event-Image of Cell Phone

Four Ways to Report
to the Safe School Helpline

  1. Call: 1-800-418-6423 or 1-800-4-1-VOICE (Ext. 359)

  2. Text: TIPS to 614-426-0240

  3. Online: SafeSchoolHelpline.com

  4. Mobile App: FREE on App Store or Google Play

If you see something, say something!

The Safe School Helpline is a convenient, confidential way for anyone to anonymously report information about situations that might affect safety at our schools. The Safe School Helpline is free and available 24/7. Examples of threatening situations include but are not limited to the following: bullying, drugs, theft, thoughts of suicide, violence, or weapons.

In addition, trained counselors are available 24 hours per day to talk with persons seeking assistance in coping with suicide thoughts, depression, or feelings of loneliness and loss. Callers can press option '3' when prompted.

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School Schedule Changes

Student safety is always the top priority when considering changes to the school schedule. Learn more about keeping informed about the latest when it comes to school schedule changes.

Visit us Online at

www.btcs.org/schedulechanges

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Report cards for the first nine weeks will be available through the PowerSchool Parent Portal on Wednesday, October 22.