January Press Releases 2008

SmartBank and Sevier County School System Announce JABizTown Partnership

The Sevier County School System is pleased to announce a partnership with SmartBank to provide every fifth grader with the opportunity to participate in Junior Achievement BizTown. Through daily lessons, hands-on activities, and active participation in a simulated community called BizTown, students develop a strong understanding of the relationship between what they learn in school and their successful participation in a local economy. Junior Achievement BizTown encompasses important elements of community and economy, work readiness, financial literacy, and business management.

SmartBank has agreed to lead the effort to underwrite the cost for approximately 1,100 Sevier County fifth graders to participate in this beneficial program. In addition, SmartBank will support the implementation of the program by providing a core group of volunteers to facilitate the BizTown visit. At BizTown, each student will assume a job, produce and/or sell products, receive a paycheck, work on a business team, repay a business loan, shop, and manage a personal bank account. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to use critical thinking skills to learn about key economic concepts as they explore and enhance their understanding of free enterprise.

Dr. Jack A. Parton, Director of Schools, states, "I am excited that the fifth graders of our school system will have this great opportunity to participate in such a unique educational experience. Through the generosity and community spirit of SmartBank's Board of Directors, each participating student will engage in the development and application of skills that can positively impact them throughout life. This partnership between the Sevier County School System and SmartBank is an example of how the school system and community businesses can work together to make sure that our youngsters have the type of education that prepares them to be good citizens of our county, state, nation, and world."

SmartBank President & CEO Billy Carroll states, "We are thrilled to partner with the Sevier County School System to provide this opportunity to so many deserving students. I believe this program will create an entrepreneurial spirit in these young people that will benefit them years down the road. Our Board of Directors and associates stand behind this commitment and are excited about the partnership and relationships that we will build with these students."

SmartBank opened in January 2007, and just celebrated its first anniversary passing the $150 million mark in assets, making it one of the nation's fastest growing new financial institutions.

The Sevier County School System has an emergency message system in place called PARENTLINK which is ready for use!  This is good news for parents, students, and school employees as we plan for those difficult mornings with unexpected school closures caused by inclement weather.  When unexpected school closures occur, a recorded message will be made by telephone to all emergency contact numbers listed for students during the school registration process in August, 2007. 

School closure announcements will continue through area media outlets (radio, news websites, and television stations).  Parents and students will want to listen to these sources for information.  PARENTLINK will be used only for sudden closures or emergency announcements during the school day and for unexpected late evening/early morning closure announcements. For example, if a school closing is announced on the 6:00 p.m. news of area television stations, it will not be necessary for the district to use the emergency messaging phone system.

 At the present time, PARENTLINK announcements will be between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.  This will keep families from having a 7:00 a.m. phone call announcing school closure when they already have the information. PARENTLINK will attempt to contact each designated number up to six times.  If an answering machine activates, PARENTLINK will leave a message, and no further contacts will be attempted. If a parent does not want a number called through PARENTLINK or if the parent wishes to add a phone number, he or she will simply contact the school where the child is enrolled and request that a number be deleted from or added to the student’s emergency contact information.

Use of the phone emergency messaging service is simply an attempt by the Sevier County School District to make announcements in a more direct fashion when closings are so unexpected that students and parents may not realize a media announcement is likely.  Be reminded that announcements about school closures are also posted on the school district’s website at www.sevier.org.

Director of Schools Jack Parton states, “We are excited about the potential that this messaging service has for enhancing communications between the school district and families in emergency school closing situations.  This process should be very helpful to parents when an unexpected weather related closure occurs or when events such as a power failure or lack of water service happen at individual schools which change the normal school schedule. We realize that we will need to work through some minor issues when we use the messaging service for the first time.  However, in the long run, the service should be an asset to students, parents, and employees.”