Oak Ridge Today

Linden Elementary, Midway Middle win $1,000 for environmental programs

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“Voice of the Vols” Bob Kesling, director of broadcasting/play-by-play for the Vol Network, and Etta Clark, vice president of global public affairs and policy at Eastman, present the 2016 Good Sports Always Recycle winners at Linden Elementary School with their award. (Submitted photo)

 

Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge and Midway Middle School in Ten Mile were recognized at the University of Tennessee homecoming game as two of the statewide winners of the Good Sports Always Recycle, or GSAR, program’s school challenge. Seven other schools were also recognized. All nine were awarded $1,000 each for their programs.

The award sponsors were Eastman Chemical Company, Food City, Waste Connections of Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee, a press release said.

The other GSAR School Challenge winners were Abintra Montessori School in Nashville, Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Emmett Elementary School in Bristol, Fayette Academy in Somerville, John Adams Elementary School in Kingsport, Newport Grammar School in Newport, and Union Elementary STEM and Demonstration School in Gallatin.

New Hope Christian Academy in Memphis was awarded $1,500 for the GSAR Sustainability Steward Award, and Libertas School of Memphis was awarded $1,500 for the Best New Program. [Read more…]

ORHS Orchestra presents tribute to Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Dec. 15

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Oak Ridge High School Orchestra will present its third annual tribute to Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Thursday, December 15. The concert is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. December 15 at Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

The public is invited to attend this high-energy concert, which will also include several traditional holiday favorites, organizers said.

Tickets are $3 at the door.

For more information, visit www.orhsorchestra.org.

Claxton Elementary School closed today due to power outage

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Claxton Elementary School is closed today (Monday, December 5) due to a power outage, Anderson County Schools said.

Jefferson Middle earns $10,000 BlueCross Shape the State Grant

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Jefferson Middle School has been awarded a Shape the State grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to upgrade its physical education program. The grants are valued at $10,000 each. (Photo by Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Jefferson Middle School has been awarded a Shape the State grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to upgrade its physical education program.

The grants, valued at $10,000 each, provide the nationally acclaimed Sports Play and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) physical education curriculum, teacher training, and equipment for each recipient school. In addition, Jefferson received $1,000 to spend on PE, nutrition, and wellness efforts. Members of the Physical Education Department worked with Oak Ridge Schools Office of Coordinated School Health to write the grant.

“We are very thankful to BlueCross for this providing schools in Tennessee with this wonderful grant opportunity,” said JMS Physical Education teacher Katie Bolling. “Jefferson Middle School students will benefit from the wonderful SPARK equipment. We are excited to implement the curriculum into our physical education program.” [Read more…]

Willow Brook Elementary receives grant from author James Patterson, Scholastic Reading Club for school library

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Willow Brook Elementary

Willow Brook Elementary School is pictured above in May 2012. (File photo)

Willow Brook Elementary School has received a grant from bestselling author James Patterson to support its school library. In addition, Scholastic Reading Club will match each dollar of Patterson’s donation with “bonus points” that teachers can use to acquire books and other materials for their classrooms.

Willow Brook was selected from among thousands of applications for funding grants. To learn more, listen to Patterson’s exclusive interview about the critical need for school libraries on the “Scholastic Reads” podcast.

Patterson and Scholastic Reading Club announced in March that Patterson would donate $1.75 million to save school libraries nationwide in the second installment of his School Library Campaign. As part of an ongoing effort to keep books and reading a number one priority in the United States, selected school libraries will be receiving grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Since the grant program’s launch in 2015, Patterson has donated $3.5 million to school libraries nationwide, with all funds are being personally donated by Patterson. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge school board to consider opposing use of public funds for private schools

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The Oak Ridge school board on Monday will consider opposing the use of public funds for private schools.

A resolution to be considered by the Oak Ridge Board of Education “strongly opposes” taking funds from public education in any community in the state without agreement from a local school board, without a legal guarantee that the schools receiving the funds will comply with the same curriculum and testing standards required of public schools, and until the state’s Basic Education Program, or BEP, is fully funded by the Tennessee General Assembly.

The resolution says the Tennessee General Assembly, the state’s legislature, will consider legislation in 2017 that would use public funds to pay tuition costs for students to attend private, religious, and non-religious schools.

The General Assembly and Tennessee State Board of Education have adopted high standards for student and teacher performance in public schools, but private schools are not held to the same accountability standards as public schools with regard to academic performance or student access, the resolution says. [Read more…]

Anderson County Underage Drinking Task Force to present Town Hall, free movie on Nov. 30

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The Anderson County Underage Drinking Task Force will be presenting a Town Hall meeting on November 30 at the Ritz Theater in Clinton. The Town Hall is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., a press release said.

It will be an open discussion of underage drinking, and it will be open to all adults in the community as well as middle and high school students who must be accompanied by their parents, guardians, and other adults, the press release said.

There will be a panel discussion formed around underage drinking in Anderson County including information on what resources are available for parents, what support is available for students, and a discussion of AWARE Anderson County, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools’ Turkey Trot rescheduled to Dec. 1 due to unhealthy air quality

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The Oak Ridge Schools’ Turkey Trot has been rescheduled to Thursday, December 1, due to unhealthy air quality in the area, officials said.

Borchers to give update on ‘State of Oak Ridge Schools’ at Tuesday lunch

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Bruce Borchers

Bruce Borchers

Bruce Borchers, Oak Ridge Schools superintendent, will give an update on the “State of Oak Ridge Schools” during a Tuesday lunch.

The update is expected to include information on Access Oak Ridge, a program that provides convertible laptops for students; successes; and new and upcoming programs and initiatives.

The update is scheduled from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, November 15, Lunch with the League at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Reminder: ORHS Masquers present a comedy, ‘Dearly Beloved,’ this weekend

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Dearly Beloved

Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s drama program, will present Jones, Hope, and Wooten’s Texas-sized comedy “Dearly Beloved” for three performances in November. Pictured above are the Futrelle Sisters, from left to right, Twink (Sarah Hepler), Frankie (Mary Kemp), and Honey Raye (Arianna Walker). (Submitted photo)

 

By Ben Fowler

Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s drama program, will present Jones, Hope, and Wooten’s Texas-sized comedy “Dearly Beloved” for three performances in November.

The performances are scheduled for Thursday, November 10, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, November 12 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, November 13, at 2 p.m., at the Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center, or ORPAC, at Oak Ridge High School.

“Dearly Beloved” is the story of the Frankie, Honey Rae, and Twink as they prepare to throw a wedding for Frankie’s daughter. The Futrelle Sisters try to stay ahead of the Fayro, Texas, rumor mill, but with Frankie’s repeated conversations with her dead mother, Honey Rae’s many trips to the marriage chapel, and Twink’s desperate attempts to get her long-time boyfriend down the aisle for the first time, the odds are against them. Add in their personal tensions of who broke up the Futrelle Sisters’ gospel group, The Sermonettes, and laughter ensues. This southern comedy, filled with crazy family, odd ball love interests, and a nosy neighbor or two, is sure to delight. [Read more…]

Agle, Fillauer re-elected to Oak Ridge Board of Education

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Angi Agle

 

Angi Agle and Keys Fillauer, the two incumbents on the Oak Ridge Board of Education, have been re-elected to four year-terms, according to unofficial election results in Anderson and Roane counties.

Agle received the most votes, a total of 7,830 in the two counties. She earned 6,643 in Anderson County and 1,187 in Roane County.

Fillauer, the current school board chair, collected 7,196 between the two counties. He had 6,049 votes in Anderson County and 1,147 in Roane County.

A third candidate, Myra Mansfield, finished with about 1,800 votes fewer than Fillauer, or 5,686. She received 4,657 in Anderson County and 729 in Roane County. [Read more…]

Agle, Fillauer lead in early voting for school board

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Note: This story was updated at 11 p.m.

Angi Agle and Keys Fillauer, the two incumbents for Oak Ridge Board of Education, lead in early voting in Anderson County, according to unofficial results posted on the Anderson County Election Commission website on Tuesday evening.

Agle had 4,591 early votes, and Fillauer, the current board chair, had 4,195.

A third candidate, challenger Myra Mansfield, had 2,992.

Agle and Fillauer also have leads in early voting in Roane County, according to unofficial results posted at 8:33 p.m. Tuesday. Agle leads with 973 early votes, and Fillauer had 960.

[Read more…]