🏫 Make Believe Monday: Board Tonight, Soccer Tuesday and Homecoming Friday

Or: The Week Is Rolling — Here’s What’s on Your Fridge Today

Good morning. The buses are rolling, Columbus Day is a federal holiday for the mail and the banks, and Sequatchie County kids are back in class for Make Believe Monday.

This is the Monday porch talk — short enough to read with coffee, sticky enough to live under a magnet until Friday night.

Here’s what’s happening: Homecoming dress-up starts TODAY, the school board meets TONIGHT at Griffith Elementary, National School Lunch Week begins, the free ACT senior retake paper date is TOMORROW, the Lady Indians host Sale Creek Tuesday at 7 p.m., and homecoming football is Community on Friday at 7 p.m. Seniors still have a Nov. 2 TN Promise deadline, and Marion and Hamilton County neighbors are on fall break all week.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• TODAY, Oct. 12: Dress theme is Make Believe Monday. National School Lunch Week starts. Sunny and warm — NWS Dunlap high near 85°F.
• Board TONIGHT: 6:30 p.m. at Griffith Elementary (meal at 5 p.m.). Open to the public.
• TOMORROW, Oct. 13: Dress is Take a Picture Tuesday. Free ACT Event 2 paper date (schools pick their day inside the window).
• Soccer: Lady Indians (13-1-1) host Sale Creek Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. District playoffs run through Oct. 16 — confirm before you go.
• Homecoming Friday: Indians vs. Community, Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. Dress theme: Go Indians Friday.
• Seniors: TN Promise applications due Nov. 2.
• Neighbors: Marion County and Hamilton County schools are on fall break Oct. 12–16.

🎭 TODAY: Make Believe Monday — And the Rest of the Week

Griffith Elementary and Sequatchie County Schools posted the official Homecoming Week spirit days. Students and staff are invited to join in each day as the count-down runs to Friday night’s game.

• Monday, Oct. 12 — Make Believe Monday ← today
• Tuesday, Oct. 13 — Take a Picture Tuesday
• Wednesday, Oct. 14 — Wild West Wednesday
• Thursday, Oct. 15 — Together Forever Thursday
• Friday, Oct. 16 — Go Indians Friday

The SCHS calendar and MaxPreps both list the homecoming football game as Community at Sequatchie County on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. in Dunlap. That matches Go Indians Friday.

What it means for you: If the costume is still in the dryer, you’ve got about one cup of coffee left. Keep it school-friendly — the kind of pretend Cousin Billy would wear to church picnic, not a haunted house. Lay out Picture Tuesday and Wild West Wednesday tonight so mornings stay calm.

👉 Read more (Sequatchie County Schools: Homecoming dress-up themes)

🏛️ Board Night TONIGHT at Griffith Elementary

The Sequatchie County Board of Education meets in regular session Monday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at Griffith Elementary, after a meal at 5 p.m. The meeting was shifted a week because of fall break. The Oct. 12 agenda is posted on the district’s board-agenda page.

In plain English, items already listed for families to watch include:

• A first reading of updated policies on medicines at school, the emergency allergy response plan and the use of an opioid antagonist (emergency medicine that can reverse an overdose)
• Approval of the three-year District Improvement Plan and the TISA Accountability Report
• A Griffith Elementary student presentation, selecting a board legislative liaison and discussion of district property at 76 Jones Drive

Public comment is part of the agenda. The board’s next regular meeting is listed for Monday, Nov. 2, with a working session Tuesday, Oct. 27.

What it means for you: A first reading is like the first coat of paint — nothing is final until the board votes again. If your child carries an EpiPen or takes medicine at school, tonight is a good night to listen. Bring a notebook; leave the soapbox at home.

👉 Read the agenda (Oct. 12 Board Agenda PDF)

⚽ Lady Indians: Sale Creek at Home Tuesday, 7 p.m.

The Sequatchie County High School girls soccer team finished the regular season 13-1-1 with a 3-0 win over Cumberland County on Oct. 6, according to MaxPreps. They’re first in district play and riding a long home winning streak.

MaxPreps posted an Oct. 11 preview listing a home matchup against Sale Creek on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 7:00 p.m. The school’s soccer schedule shows district playoffs running Oct. 12 through 16, after a play-in window that began Oct. 8. Class A region tournaments statewide follow Oct. 20–24.

Tournament brackets can shift, so always confirm the kickoff time before you load the car.

What it means for you: Friday night football gets most of the porch talk, but Tuesday night soccer deserves a folding chair too. Pack light layers — evenings cool off even when the afternoon hits the mid-80s.

👉 Read more (MaxPreps: Lady Indians vs. Sale Creek preview)

🏈 Indians Playoff Math — Homecoming Friday Matters

The Indians are 4-3 overall and 2-1 in Region 4-3A (third in the region), according to MaxPreps and TSSAA standings. The region has six teams: Cascade, Community, Forrest, Giles County, Sequatchie County and Watertown. TSSAA rules send the top four teams in each region to the playoffs.

Both of the Indians’ remaining region games are at home: homecoming against Community on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., and Giles County on Thursday, Oct. 29. There’s also a non-region trip to Walker Valley on Oct. 23.

MaxPreps lists Community at 0-7 overall heading into the Dunlap game. First-round playoff games statewide are typically the first weekend of November; the Class 3A state championship is set for Dec. 4 in Chattanooga.

What it means for you: Think of it like a cakewalk at the fall festival — you don’t have to win every round, you just have to be standing on a good square when the music stops. Two home region games and a loud Friday night crowd can make a real difference. Country Roads 93.3 FM usually carries Indians games when they play.

👉 Read more (MaxPreps: Community at Sequatchie County, Oct. 16)

🍎 National School Lunch Week Starts TODAY

National School Lunch Week runs Oct. 12–16 nationwide. The School Nutrition Association’s 2026 theme is “Cafeteria Circus” — a lighthearted way to spotlight the folks who feed kids every day.

Closer to home: The Dunlap-Tribune reported in September that all three Sequatchie County school cafeterias scored a perfect 100 on their Tennessee Department of Health food-service inspections. Nutrition supervisor Cindy Stevens and Director of Schools Sarai Pierce praised the kitchen staff. The same report noted that cafeterias prepare and serve breakfast and lunch each school day at no cost to families, regardless of income.

If you have meal questions, call the district office at (423) 949-3617.

What it means for you: If mornings are hectic, school breakfast is one less pan to wash. Say thank you to the cafeteria crew this week — they’re the unsung heroes behind the steam table.

👉 Read more (Dunlap-Tribune: perfect cafeteria scores)

📝 Seniors: Free ACT Paper Date Is TOMORROW — Plus TN Promise by Nov. 2

Tennessee still offers public high school seniors a free school-day ACT retake. ACT’s Tennessee schedule lists:

• Event 2: paper on Oct. 13; online windows Oct. 13–16 and Oct. 19–23
• Event 3: paper on Oct. 27; online windows Oct. 27–30 and Nov. 2–6

Each school picks its own date inside those windows. A 21 on the ACT is one path to the HOPE Scholarship (a 3.0 GPA is the other).

Separately, Tennessee Promise — the state’s last-dollar scholarship for community college or a Tennessee College of Applied Technology — has an application deadline of Nov. 2, 2026 for the Class of 2027. Students apply through the THEC Student Portal at collegefortn.org. Applicants must also complete the FAFSA by April 1, 2027, attend a mandatory meeting and complete community-service hours. Sequatchie County seniors are coordinated through tnAchieves (Ayers Foundation covers a short list of other counties that does not include Sequatchie).

What it means for you: Call the SCHS counseling office today if you still need your ACT date. Sleep and breakfast beat last-minute cramming. Put Nov. 2 on the fridge for TN Promise — three weeks goes fast when homecoming is this loud.

👉 Read more (TN Promise overview)

🌤️ Sunny Homecoming Week — High Near 85°F Today

The National Weather Service point forecast for Dunlap (updated Sunday evening) calls for a sunny Columbus Day with a high near 85°F, calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph. Tuesday through Thursday stay sunny and warm with highs near the upper 80s. Friday looks a touch cooler with a small chance of afternoon showers around homecoming — high near 82°F — then a sharper cool-down over the weekend.

After weekend rain, roads should be drying, but wet leaves and soft shoulders can still slow a school bus on the first morning back.

What it means for you: Light jacket for the bus stop, water bottle for the afternoon. If power flickered overnight, Sequachee Valley Electric’s outage line is 1-888-421-7832. Recheck weather.gov before Friday night under the lights.

👉 Read more (NWS: Dunlap point forecast)

🚗 Neighbors on Fall Break — Sequatchie Is In Session

Marion County Schools and Hamilton County Schools both list fall break for Oct. 12–16. Sequatchie County is back in class — so if your household bridges districts, don’t assume every cousin is off this week.

What it means for you: Extra traffic near Dunlap schools is normal this morning while neighboring counties sleep in. Leave five minutes early and watch for buses.

👉 Read more (Hamilton County Schools: Fall Break)

✅ Your Monday Fridge Checklist

• ✅ TODAY: Make Believe Monday — costume on, school rules still apply.
• ✅ Board meeting: tonight, 6:30 p.m., Griffith Elementary.
• ✅ Pin the rest: Picture Tuesday, Wild West Wednesday, Together Forever Thursday, Go Indians Friday.
• ✅ Lady Indians vs. Sale Creek: Tuesday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m. (confirm before you go).
• ✅ Homecoming football: Community, Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. — Indians are 2-1 in region play.
• ✅ Lunch Week starts today — say thanks to cafeteria staff.
• ✅ Seniors: ask counseling for your free ACT Event 2 or 3 date; put TN Promise Nov. 2 on the calendar.
• ✅ Kids in Marion or Hamilton County? They’re off Oct. 12–16.
• ✅ Sunny and warm today — high near 85°F — leave early for the bus.

Practical rule: Write tonight’s board time, Tuesday’s soccer kickoff, Friday’s 7 p.m. homecoming and the Nov. 2 TN Promise deadline on the fridge before supper, and the week runs itself.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English School Glossary

• Homecoming Week: A school spirit week of dress-up days leading up to a big home football game and related events.
• First reading: The first time a school board reviews a new or changed policy. It votes again before the change is final.
• Opioid antagonist: Emergency medicine, such as naloxone (Narcan), that can reverse an opioid overdose.
• TISA: Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement, the formula the state uses to send money to schools based on students’ needs.
• District tournament: The first playoff round inside a school’s district; winners move on to the region.
• Region standings: Win-loss record inside a TSSAA region; the top four of six usually advance to the football playoffs.
• ACT Senior Retake: A free, state-paid chance for public school seniors to take the ACT again during the school day.
• TN Promise: A last-dollar scholarship that can cover tuition and mandatory fees at a Tennessee community college or TCAT after other gift aid is applied.
• National School Lunch Week: A nationwide October celebration highlighting school meals; 2026’s theme is “Cafeteria Circus.”
• Columbus Day: A federal holiday (banks and mail often closed) — Sequatchie County schools are in session today.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What should my child wear today?

Today is Make Believe Monday. Costumes or pretend outfits that follow school dress rules work. If you’re unsure, a simple creative shirt beats anything that would get them sent to the office.

Is school closed for Columbus Day?

No for Sequatchie County — students are in class. Federal offices, many banks and the U.S. Postal Service are typically closed. Marion and Hamilton County schools are on fall break this week.

Can anybody go to the school board meeting tonight?

Yes. Board meetings are open to the public, and the agenda includes time for public comment. It starts at 6:30 p.m. at Griffith Elementary.

When is the Lady Indians soccer game this week?

MaxPreps lists Sale Creek at Sequatchie County on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. Confirm on the school’s soccer schedule or MaxPreps before you go — tournament brackets can shift.

Is the Community football game this Friday?

Yes — Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in Dunlap. That’s homecoming night and Go Indians Friday.

Do seniors have to pay for the ACT retake?

Not when they test at school on the state’s school-day dates. Ask the SCHS counseling office which Event 2 or Event 3 date your senior uses. Event 2 paper is listed for Oct. 13.

What is TN Promise, and when is it due?

TN Promise is a last-dollar scholarship for community college or a TCAT. The Class of 2027 application is due Nov. 2, 2026, through the THEC Student Portal. Students must also complete the FAFSA by April 1, 2027, attend a mandatory meeting and complete community-service hours.

🔗 Other Resources

• Sequatchie County Schools: Homecoming Week dress-up themes
• Sequatchie County Schools: Board agendas
• Oct. 12, 2026 Board Agenda (PDF)
• SCHS 2026–27 girls soccer schedule
• MaxPreps: Lady Indians vs. Sale Creek preview
• MaxPreps: Community at Sequatchie County, Oct. 16
• TSSAA football standings
• ACT: Tennessee Senior Retake
• TN Promise (collegefortn.org)
• National School Lunch Week 2026
• Dunlap-Tribune: cafeteria health scores
• NWS Dunlap point forecast
• Hamilton County Schools: Fall Break
• Marion County Schools calendar
• Sequachee Valley Electric: outage information
• Sequatchie County Schools

🌄 A Loud, Happy Week Under the Lights

When you lay it all out, this week is about spirit shirts, one board meeting tonight, a soccer team worth cheering Tuesday, senior deadlines that stay simpler on the fridge and Friday night homecoming under the lights. The sun’s back, the buses are rolling and the Valley feels like fall again.

We’ll keep an eye on what matters for Valley families so you don’t have to. Read Dunlap.Today and sign up for our newsletter for plain-English school updates every week.