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Rocketship breaks ground on music-centered school





Officials break ground Wednesday morning on an elementary school in Antioch run by Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee. From left are Tess Stovall, executive director of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission; Jermaine Gassaway, director of schools for Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee; Abby Spaulding, board chair of Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee; Metro Council member Joy Styles; Jessica Alexander, founding principal of Rocketship Antioch; Alicia Soto, founding Rocketship parent; James Robinson, executive director of Rocketship Schools Tennessee; June Nwabara, member of the Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee advisory board; Chris Barbic, City Fund; and Bill DeLoache, Joe C. Davis Foundation.Payne Ray / Main Street NashvillePayne Ray / Main Street Nashville

Officials break ground Wednesday morning on an elementary school in Antioch run by Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee. From left are Tess Stovall, executive director of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission; Jermaine Gassaway, director of schools for Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee; Abby Spaulding, board chair of Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee; Metro Council member Joy Styles; Jessica Alexander, founding principal of Rocketship Antioch; Alicia Soto, founding Rocketship parent; James Robinson, executive director of Rocketship Schools Tennessee; June Nwabara, member of the Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee advisory board; Chris Barbic, City Fund; and Bill DeLoache, Joe C. Davis Foundation.Payne Ray / Main Street NashvillePayne Ray / Main Street Nashville

Rocketship Public Schools, a national public charter school system, celebrated the groundbreaking of its latest school Wednesday morning, marking the start of construction for the Antioch school approved two years ago.

The groundbreaking ceremony, held at the school site at 5400 Mt. View Road, was attended by local leaders and school officials. Founding school principal Jessica Alexander led the group in turning the dirt after an emotional speech addressing the obstacles the school faced, like the 2020 Nashville tornado and COVID-19, and the pride she felt as the school’s founding principal.

“I am so honored to be the founding principal of this school,” Alexander said. “When I became a member of the Rocketship family in 2017, I did not think my journey would lead me here, building a school from the ground up, becoming not only the first woman in Nashville to found a school, but the first person of color. Even when I was hired (as principal) in February 2020, I could not imagine the immensity of this moment.”

Jessica Alexander is the founding principal of the new music-centered elementary school in Antioch.Courtesy / Rocketship Public Schools

Jessica Alexander is the founding principal of the new music-centered elementary school in Antioch.Courtesy / Rocketship Public Schools

James Robinson, executive director of Rocketship Public Schools, said officials canceled the groundbreaking twice in 2020 before they could finally carry it off this year. He said he was relieved it didn’t rain despite the gray sky and humidity of Wednesday morning.

With the groundbreaking complete, he’s ready to see the school, which will be the third Rocketship school in Nashville, come to be.

“It’s been a journey, but now that the ground is being broken, it’s a reality,” he said.

The school will be a music-focused elementary for students in kindergarten through fourth grade. Music will be incorporated into daily lessons, and music classes will be provided for all students.

Alexander said they aim to unite the diverse Antioch demographic through the common language of music, while working to bring students the resources they need to succeed in other academic areas.

Alexander, who has been waiting patiently for the school to be built through its delays, said she’s been brushing up on her skills in multilingual learning and academic coaching in preparation to lead the school, which she hopes will be as diverse in students and staffing as the community it serves.

 

 

“As I mentioned before, Antioch is such a beautiful community,” Alexander said. “It’s so diverse, not only ethnically but linguistically.”

Alongside their academic supports for students speaking English as a second language, Alexander said music can provide a common ground on which all students can share and bond.

In keeping with that theme of sharing with community, Alexander said the school will be named by the inaugural class of parents at the school, which will open next fall. They’ll also pick the fifth core value of the school, which will be taken in stride alongside four that exist across Rocketship Public Schools.

The other four are respect, responsibility, empathy and persistence. At Rocketship United Academy in Southeast Nashville, the fifth value is gratitude. At Nashville Northeast Elementary, it’s love.

Alexander said that process will likely take place in the spring, after the school has had time to recruit families and get them involved in the process. Parents can learn more about the school at rocketshipschools.org/antioch.

She said she’s looking forward to the journey as she basked in the moment Wednesday.

“Today is such a beautiful moment,” she said. “Of course, it just marks the beginning of something even greater.”

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