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Scottie Mayfield visits Woodland after student taste test suggests plastic milk containers

Posted at 2:40 pm May 2, 2016
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Scottie-Mayfield-at-Woodland-4-April-15-2016

Scottie Mayfield, president emeritus of Mayfield Dairy Farms, visited Woodland Elementary School on Friday, April 15, 2016, after hearing from 40 third-graders who conducted a blind taste test of milk stored in two different containers—wax-cardboard cafeteria containers and plastic yellow Mayfield jugs, like those used for store-bought milk—and determined they preferred milk stored in plastic. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Scottie Mayfield, president emeritus of Mayfield Dairy Farms, visited Woodland Elementary School in April after hearing from 40 third-graders who conducted a blind taste test of milk stored in two different containers—wax-cardboard cafeteria containers and plastic yellow Mayfield jugs, like those used for store-bought milk—and determined they preferred milk stored in plastic.

In the blind taste test, about 94 percent of the students preferred the milk that had been stored in plastic jugs, Woodland teacher Linda Young said. The persuasive opinion writing students, who are in the third-grade classes of Young and Inger Scudder, sent letters to Mayfield Dairy Farms suggesting that cafeteria milk be stored in plastic bottles like those used in grocery stores, Young said.

Impressed by the letters and responding to consumer concerns, Mayfield visited the school and met with the students on Friday, April 15.

He said the students were right.

“I appreciate your work,” Mayfield told the third-graders. “It appears to be accurate.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Education, Education, Front Page News, K-12, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Dean Foods, Inger Scudder, Linda Young, Mayfield Dairy Farms, milk, opinion writing, Scottie Mayfield, T.B. Mayfield, taste test, Woodland Elementary School

Oak Ridge teachers Jane Sasser, Brian Smith receive Outstanding Educator awards

Posted at 7:30 pm April 26, 2016
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

Jane Sasser, English teacher at Oak Ridge High School, and Brian Smith, history teacher at Jefferson Middle School, were two out of only six recipients from the entire state who received the Outstanding Educator Awards from Humanities Tennessee.

According to the Humanities Tennessee website, these awards were available for up to six full-time, third- to 12th-grade teachers in Tennessee who have demonstrated excellence in teaching the humanities. Since 1985, Humanities Tennessee has awarded almost $400,000 to 169 teachers in Tennessee.

Applicants for this award are expected to be skillful and dedicated teachers who exhibit expansive and in-depth knowledge of the subjects they teach, a press release said. They are to have the respect of students, parents, and co-workers, and have a record of active involvement in community activities and professional organizations, particularly those that promote the humanities.

Sasser and Smith will each receive a $2,000 fellowship to further their professional development in the humanities. Oak Ridge High School and Jefferson Middle School will each receive a $1,500 grant to be used for the purchase of humanities instructional materials or for student humanities projects. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Brian Smith, Humanities Tennessee, Jane Sasser, Jefferson Middle School, Oak Ridge High School, ORHS, Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Educator awards

ORHS welding students bring home gold, bronze medals from Skills USA

Posted at 9:49 am April 24, 2016
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

ORHS Welding Students and Instruction April 2016

Pictured above from left to right are students Abigayle Allison, Peyton Ooten, and Evan Eschenberg, and instructor Jeff Hankins. (Submitted photo)

 

Two Oak Ridge High Schools received gold medals and were named state champions in two different welding categories, while a third student received a bronze medal.

The students and their medals are:

  • Senior Evan Eschenberg received a gold medal and is the state champion in the category of Welding.
  • Sophomore Abigayle Allison received a gold medal and is the state champion in the category of Welding Sculpture.
  • Junior Peyton Ooten received a bronze medal for third place in the state in the category of Action Skills.

The students are in Jeff Hankins’ welding classes at Oak Ridge High School. They competed and placed in several events in the Skills USA State Championships from April 17-20 in Chattanooga. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Abigayle Allison, bronze medal, Evan Eschenberg, gold medal, Holly Cross, Jeff Hankins, Oak Ridge High School, ORHS, ORHS welding, Peyton Ooteng, Skills USA, Skills USA State Championships, Skills USA State Conference, welding

Community Matters leaders report back at ORHS on Sunday

Posted at 1:02 pm April 23, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

Community-Matters-Unitarian-Universalist-Nov-1-2015-14

Pictured above at a Community Matters forum at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Nov. 1, 2015, are the Reverend Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church, center, the Rev. Jake Morrill of Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, left, and Father Brent Shelton of St. Mary’s Parish. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The leaders of the Community Matters series of forums held last fall will report back on what they’ve learned at Oak Ridge High School on Sunday.

The informational session is scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24. All Oak Ridge residents are invited to attend.

This event will feature community leaders including Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch, Police Chief Jim Akagi, ORHS Principal Martin McDonald, and leading pastors in town, all to continue the conversation begun last fall, a press release said.

“In the last couple of years, communities around the country have engaged the conversation sparked by Black Lives Matter,” the press release said. “In some communities, this has looked like protest. In others, it has looked like study and reflection.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Churches, Community, Community, Education, Front Page News, K-12, Meetings and Events, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider Tagged With: Black Lives Matter, Community Matters, Derrick Hammond, J.B. Shelton, Jake Morrill, James Akagi, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, Oak Valley Baptist Church, St. Mary's Catholic Church

Four female ORHS students win state, national honors in computing awards

Posted at 11:16 am April 23, 2016
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools Logo

Four female students at Oak Ridge High School won state honors and one student was a national winner in computing awards given to young women in 2016.

The Award for Aspirations in Computing by the National Center for Women and Informational Technology honors young women at the high school level for their computing-related achievements and interests, a press release said.

Awardees are selected for their computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education.

The four ORHS students were among 11 state winners from Tennessee. The Oak Ridge students are Serena French, Megan Peters, Tina Wang, and Melissa Yuan. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: 2016 Award for Aspirations in Computing, Award for Aspirations in Computing by the National Center for Women and Informational Technology, Bank of America Technology Stars of the Future Showcase and Awards Ceremony, computer science, computing awards, Keith Jackson, Megan Peters, Melissa Yuan, Oak Ridge High School, ORHS, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, Serena French, STEM, Tennessee Technical University, Tina Wang

ORPSEF partners UT-Battelle, ORAU, UCOR fund $30,636 literacy grant

Posted at 10:52 am April 23, 2016
By Jessica Steed, Executive Director of ORPSEF Leave a Comment

Bookmobile

Ginger Adams, teacher at Linden Elementary School, is pictured above with participants in last summer’s bookmobile program. (Submitted photo)

Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation partners UT-Battelle, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and URS|CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) joined to fund Oak Ridge School’s $30,636 “Oak Ridge Reads” literacy grant.

The Oak Ridge Reads initiative supports Oak Ridge Schools’ efforts to improve literacy by extending services beyond the classroom. The Oak Ridge Reads grant will address summer learning, family literacy support, and high quality reading opportunities in home and after-school settings.

With support from the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, the Literacy Department of Oak Ridge Schools will provide a summer community bookmobile reading program to benefit families in Oak Ridge. Additionally, each preschool and kindergarten student will receive a library of books that they can keep, and after-school book clubs will begin for elementary and middle school students during the 2016-17 school year. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12 Tagged With: bookmobile, early literacy, Jessica Steed, literacy grant, Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, Oak Ridge Reads, Oak Ridge Schools, ORAU, ORPSEF, UCOR, UT-Battelle

Volunteers raising money for community playground at Robertsville Middle

Posted at 11:17 am April 21, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Robertsville Middle School

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

Robertsville Middle School is in the process of building a community playground, and volunteers have scheduled a May 6 fundraiser that will feature food and music.

This playground will be available for use by all students but also will be built to accommodate the needs of the special education students. The playground will also be available after school and on the weekends for families in the community of the school and families in Oak Ridge.

Robertsville serves more than 700 students in grades 5-8 and presently has no playgrounds available.

“This truly will be a community playground, not only by those who use it, but by how it will be paid for,” a press release said.

The school is partnering with individuals, private businesses, and local companies to raise the $20,000 to build the playground, the safety chips, border around playground, and benches, the release said. RMS donated $4,500 to get the project started, and so far, more than $8,000 has been raised. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Meetings and Events, Top Stories Tagged With: Amy Randolph, community playground, David Scott, Jeff DeAlejandro, OliBea's, playground, RMS, Robertsville Middle School

CORRECTED: Pre-registration for Oak Ridge Schools kindergarten is May 2-6

Posted at 10:27 am April 21, 2016
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools will have pre-registration for kindergarten during the week of May 2-6. The pre-registration is scheduled from 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. at Glenwood, Linden, Willow Brook, and Woodland elementary schools.

This will be the beginning of a two-part registration process that will be completed just prior to school entrance this summer. If you have a child who will be 5 years old on or before August 15, 2016, you should pick up a registration packet the week of pre-registration from the school in the district of your residence. This packet will include information about the required physical examination and changes to the immunization requirements that are mandated by the State of Tennessee for entrance to school. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Meetings and Events Tagged With: kindergarten, Oak Ridge Schools, pre-registration

UT to host bullying expert from the UK on April 26

Posted at 10:15 am April 21, 2016
By University of Tennessee Leave a Comment

Dieter Wolke

Dieter Wolke

KNOXVILLE—International bullying expert Dieter Wolke, a professor of developmental psychology and individual differences at the University of Warwick, in Coventry, England, will present “The Long Shadow Thrown by Bullying” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Free and open to the public, the lecture is in Room 622 of the  Min H. Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building, 1520 Middle Drive. Parking is available in the 11th Street parking garage.

The event is hosted by the Department of Child and Family Studies in UT’s College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

Wolke will discuss bullying in schools and other settings, what it means for victims, and why it predicts long-term mental health problems. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Community, Education, Front Page News, K-12, Meetings and Events Tagged With: bullying, College of Education Health and Human Sciences, Department of Child and Family Studies, Dieter Wolke, The Long Shadow Thrown by Bullying, University of Tennessee, UT

Running for Office Workshop offered at Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

Posted at 12:19 am April 21, 2016
By Kathy Gillenwaters Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-Schools-Bob-Eby-March-28-2016

Bob Eby

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is offering a workshop for anyone interested in running for local office on May 19 from 7-8 p.m. in the Joyce Conference Room at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The workshop is free and is open to the public.

Participants will learn about the process of running for office, gain helpful tips, and will have the opportunity to ask questions about what to expect.

The workshop will be conducted by Bob Eby. Eby has successfully run four campaigns over four decades and currently serves on the Oak Ridge Board of Education. He will share advice he has received from elected officials over the years as well as his own observations collected over the past 30 years. Eby will share his list of things you must do, the things to avoid, and things to consider in order to run a successful campaign. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Business, Education, Front Page News, Government, K-12, Meetings and Events, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Bob Eby, campaign, elected official, election, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, running for office, workshop

Two ORHS seniors win Brad Sturm scholarships

Posted at 11:43 pm April 20, 2016
By Carolyn Krause Leave a Comment

Sean Badurina, Mel Sturm, and Jade Lesher

Sean Badurina and Jade Lesher are winners of the Brad Sturm Memorial Scholarships established by businessman Mel Sturm (center). (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Sean Badurina and Jade Lesher, two seniors at Oak Ridge High School, were selected by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge as recipients of the Brad Sturm Memorial Scholarships for 2016.

Sean, who likes to build machines and take them apart to see how they work, said he plans to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and major in mechanical engineering.

Jade, president of the ORHS drama club with eight years of theater experience and section leader in the marching band, plans to attend UT in Knoxville and major in political science.

To qualify for the scholarships, first established 40 years ago by 92-year-old businessman Mel Sturm, ORHS students this year had to read Larry Arnn’s 2015 book “Churchill’s Trial: Winston Churchill and the Salvation of Free Government.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clubs, Community, Education, Front Page News, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Brad Sturm Memorial Scholarship, Carolyn Krause, Jade Lesher, Mel Sturm, Oak Ridge High School, ORHS, Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, scholarship, Sean Badurina, University of Tennessee

ORHS concert to feature JazzKats, Concert Band, Symphonic Band

Posted at 11:00 am April 19, 2016
By Merny Hughey Leave a Comment

2015-16 All East Students

Oak Ridge High School 2015-16 All East Students are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

A Thursday night concert at Oak Ridge High School will feature award-winning ORHS groups performing in the community for the first time since Christmas.

Among the recent honors: The Oak Ridge High School Band placed 21 students through auditions into the ETSBOA All East Honors Bands. ETSBOA is the East Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association.

A couple of the ORHS students were actually chosen on two different instruments, a press release said. Two in the group, Ryan Armstrong and Thomas Colburn, earned seats in All State as well.

“These outstanding students, along with the entire Symphonic and Concert Bands, also earned a superior rating (all 1s in performance and sight reading) at the State Concert Festival under the direction of Spence Milligan and Mike Spirko,” the press release said.

Now, the ORHS Band students and directors have invited the community to enjoy a diverse program of music on Thursday, April 21. A sample of some of the evening’s performances include Director Mike Spirko with the JazzKats opening on “Come Out Swingin’,” followed by the Concert Band performing “West Side Story.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Entertainment, Front Page News, K-12, Meetings and Events, Music, Top Stories Tagged With: All State, Concert Band, ETSBOA All East Honors Band, JazzKats, Mike Spirko, Oak Ridge High School Band, ORHS Band, Ryan Armstrong, Spence Milligan, Symphonic Band, Thomas Colburn

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