By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
The sound of ‘cha-ching’ could be heard echoing through the halls of Union City Elementary School on Friday.
Nearly 140 students were rewarded with $50 cash as an incentive payoff for excelling in the TCAP testing last spring by Principal Allison Palmer and Vice Principals Bill Kail and Maggie Miller.
The building administrators handed out certificates that were later redeemed for money to 67 members of last year’s third-grade class and another 71 members of last year’s fourth-grade class, who were bused over from UC Middle School for the ceremony.
In all, more than $7,000 was handed out to deserving students who met or exceeded expectations on the reading, math, or both portions of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program exam.
Additionally, eight of those honorees were awarded additional prizes via a random drawing that saw a pair of iPads, two electric scooters, two $100 Amazon shopping sprees, and a pair of Beats headphones given away.
Palmer also invited this year’s third-grade class to the ceremony as an incentive to motivate them to aspire to similar awards when that groups takes the test in April 2026.
“I believe it was important for this year’s third-grade group to witness what can happen when you strive to do your best on the TCAPs,” she said. “They saw the genuine excitement on the faces of those students we honored, and I’m confident they’ll want to be among that group next year at this time.
“I think I speak for Coach Kail and Mrs. Miller as well when I say we were so happy to reward our students for a job well done.”
Among those students honored were: (see group photos)
4th Grade
(Front row, from left) Major Bell, Treyden Brown, Kevin Burlison, James Burnette, Ethan Cardena, Nevaeh Cooper, Anna Denman, Hayden Fisk Christiana Foster
(Second row, from left) Elijah Ganaway, Grayson Garner, Sailor Goodman, Houston Gray, Nathan Hardy, Heaven Leann Hart, Nora Hazelwood, Jerome Hill, Brooklynn Hillin
(Third row, from left) Lance Jones, Fisher Jowers, Ollie Keathley, Tairyana Kenton, Doerrian King, Willow King, Luka Lozier, Deklan Mailman, Mia Maldonado Vazquez
(Fourth row, from left) Eleni Marshall, Rhone Matheny, Angela Hayden McClure, Je Nyla McElrath, Knox McGowan, Owen Niedzialomski, Austin Nipp, Kingston Owens
Not pictured: Mason Berry, Maislynn Hale
4th Grade
(Front row, from left) Marto Oxlaj Hernandez, Charlie Parks, Edwards Pastor Tzi, Kennedy Pate, Jinay Patel, Braelynn Penney, Jaidence Pettigrew, Braxton Phillips, Blakely Quinn
(Second row, from left) Joshua Ramirez, Chysea Reaves, Ava Reynolds, Stephen Rice, Hadley Richards, Ambry Riley, Aunisti Robinson, Kion Robinson, Marley Sanders
(Third row, from left) Kayleigh Singleteary, Antonia Siquin Chavez, Kathryn Stephenson, Estefany Tinajero, Wendy Trejo Xol, James Wall
(Fourth row, from left) Emmitt White, Amiyah Wilkins, Lakyn Williams, Finlee Wisniewski, Ariane Woodruff
5th GRADE
(Front row, from left) Jason Adams, Kevin Ajanel Pastor, Olivia Allen, Henry Bailey, Brie Barker, Henry Baumgardner, Danica Bell, Emma Kate Bolding, Alex Cardena
(Second row, from left) Yaretzy Carranza, Berkleigh Chism, Jack Clark, Asher Coleman, Benjamin Coleman, Camri Coleman, Kathryn Conner, Julia Cruce, Amazing Davis
(Third row, from left) Awesome Davis, Raegan Davis, Joshua Devito, Nova Dumas, Wesley Duncan, Clara Elliott, Mason Esters, Jade Fitts, Shayna German
(Fourth row, from left) Mattie Gray, King Harris, Alex Hernandez Perez, Luke Howell, River Hussey, Imani Jeffrey, Reece Jenkins, Riley Jones, Tucker Jones
Not Pictured: Cormac Gray, Rylan Hale, Mariella Hazelwood
5th GRADE
(Front row, from left) Nora Keathley, Drew Kissell, Tymofii Kostanian, Liam Lewis, Zoey Little, Elias Lopez, Gael Maldonado Rios, Carter Martinek, Antony Martinez
(Second row, from left) Molly Grace Miller, Jazon Molands, Knox Norsworthy, Jordan Owens, Penelope Parks, Wesley Pigg, Kora Jess Powers, Liam Putman, Griffin Reeves
(Third row, from left) McKenzie Reynolds, Piper Rhenberg, Mateo Rico Rivera, Sergio Salazar, Brandt Sherwood, Ja Toree Spears, Christopher Stowell, Lennon Taylor, Alexis Tinajero
(Fourth row, from left) Katheryn Tohn, Inaki Vazquez, Je Niyah Walker, Dereon Wallace, Harper Whitman, Brayan Xona Pastor
Not Pictured: Carlisle Peery, Kyzer Prather