Robert M. Thomas Welcome Center

Strategy Division - Student & Family Supports

Strategy Division: Our Mission - To simplify complex challenges by building clear and coherent systems and structures to enhance communication, increase meaningful district-wide engagement, and improve data-driven decision-making.

Working in conjunction with the Enrollment and Ombudsman Offices, the Robert M. Thomas Welcome Center is 1 of 3 offices comprising the Student & Family Supports Department. 

Robert M. Thomas Welcome Center: Our Mission - To direct newcomer enrollments, develop and maintain structures to provide effective, efficient, and responsive translation and interpretation to schools. 

As a Family Resource Center, examples of the services provided at the Robert M. Thomas Welcome Center are:

• Assist non/limited English-speaking families with the enrollment process of students new to Knox County Schools from across the state, across the country, across the world
• Assist non/limited English-speaking families with students currently enrolled in Knox County Schools with the enrollment process if or when a family moves into a new school zone within the Knox County Schools District
• Orientation to Knox County Schools for students and parents - district policies and procedures
• Provide language support to bridge the communication gap between non/limited English-speaking families and schools/district
• Referrals to support services include: Adult ESL, Citizenship Classes, Health Clinics and more

The languages represented by our exceptional team of Family Community Liaisons are listed below. Requests for support regarding all other languages as well as S-Team, IEP, 504 and/or disciplinary meetings will need to be directed to Sonja Stryker Warren to be facilitated by one of the district's contracted vendors by utilizing the CI-224 e-Form via the link below:

• Arabic
• French
• Kinyarwanda
• Kirundi 
• Mayan (Akateco and Q'anjob'al)
• Persian (Dari/Farsi) 
• Spanish 
• Swahili

Please note that the Request for Family Community Liaison Online Form will be routed directly to the assigned Family Community Liaison (please note a screenshot of all 3 languages from the student's profile in ASPEN will be required for these requests). Subsequently, for each language in which support is needed, a separate request will be required for that language. Please do not request multiple languages on a single request or request a language that is not listed above to a Family Community Liaison who does not support that language. A CI-224 request will need to be placed via the link below.

If you see you need multiple FCLs for a single language, please only request your school or district assigned FCL for the language and place a CI-224 request electronically with the number of additional support you require for that language and event. 

The CI-224 request will now be electronically routed to the Welcome Center Administrative Assistant, who will facilitate the request accordingly and assign to a district contracted language support vendor. 

 ***Please submit CI-224 requests electronically at least 2-weeks in advance as the standard operating procedure carried over from Student Support Services. Also, please be advised that only electronic submissions via the CI-224 link will be accepted***

Electronic Staff Forms 

» » Request for Family Community Liaison Online Form (Languages listed above)

» CI-224 - Request Interpreter/Translation Service Online Form