Oak Ridge Today

Breakfast Rotary, Altrusa award more than $20K in literacy grants

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Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotar and Altrusa International

Pictured from left to right front row are Ann Mostoller (Altrusa), Lisa Buckner, Kay Hall, Alana Hunsaker, Rhoni Basden,Gwen Harrell and Beck Hook. In the second row are Christina Young (ORBRC), Judy Trimble (Altrusa), Ginger Adams, Sheila Michaels, Terry Peck, Jill McMaster, Trudy Wideman, Liz Herdses, and Austin Lance (ORBRC). (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club and Altrusa International of Oak Ridge recently presented grant awards from the Literacy 4 Lunch Grant Award Program.

Lack of literacy skills continues to be a serious problem in the lives of many of our East Tennessee neighbors and for many throughout the world, a press release said.

“Non-readers and below-grade readers cannot realize their full potential in life, which in turn adversely affects our local and national economies and society in general,” the release said.

To address these needs, the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club and Altrusa International of Oak Ridge co-sponsor an annual fundraiser, Lunch 4 Literacy. Proceeds from the March 2014 event that featured Denise Kiernan, author of “The Girls of the Atomic City,” provide the financial basis for these grants. [Read more…]

School board to consider balanced calendar, budget timeline

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider a balanced calendar for the 2016-2017 school year during a regular meeting tonight. The school board will also consider an updated budget timeline for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

The Board of Education could consider salary proposals from the Oak Ridge Education Association and principals during the meeting tonight (Monday, March 30). It starts at 6 p.m. at the Robert J. Smallridge School Administration Building at 304 New York Avenue.

The school board approved a balanced calendar for the 2015-2016 school year in a meeting in April 2014. This fall will be the first time that Oak Ridge has had a balanced calendar. [Read more…]

St. Mary’s opens new soccer field with first-ever home match

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St. Mary's School

St. Mary’s School of Oak Ridge is officially opening its soccer field today (Tuesday, March 24).

The opening ceremony starts at 5:15 p.m. today with a blessing of the field and ribbon-cutting ceremony. After the ceremony, at 5:30 p.m., St. Mary’s Varsity Coed Soccer team will play the Paideia Academy in its first-ever home soccer match. [Read more…]

Education Foundation grants support robotics, Lego learning projects

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Jefferson Middle School Master Builders

Two members of the Jefferson Middle School Master Builders team are preparing their robot to solve missions at a FIRST Lego League mission table. (Photo by Yvonne Dalschen)

 

At Linden Elementary School, Lisa Buckner’s third-graders are building robots and Lego floats representing continents in a months-long project aimed at engaging them in learning, problem solving, and creative and critical thinking.

The 38 members of Oak Ridge High School’s Secret City Robotics team are solving real-world problems as they build and program a 120-pound robot to enter FIRST Robotics Competitions as an extra-curricular activity.

Teachers view robots and Lego sets as tools giving Oak Ridge students opportunities to collaborate, design, build, and solve problems as they learn engineering, science, and technology skills, both inside and outside the classroom.

The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation supported these activities with $18,700 in grants last year to teachers at the Oak Ridge High School, Jefferson and Robertsville middle schools, and Linden Elementary School. The grants included a UT-Battelle donation of $10,000 directed to FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Lego League teams, all extra-curricular programs at the high school and middle schools. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools nurse named Tennessee School Nurse Administrator of the Year

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Betsy Jernigan

Betsy Jernigan

Betsy Jernigan of Oak Ridge Schools has been named the Tennessee School Nurse Administrator of the Year.

This honor is awarded annually by the membership of the Tennessee Association of School Nurses, or TASN, to the school nurse administrator who demonstrates excellence in her field, based on the American Nurses Association Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators, a press release said.

Jernigan (BSN, RN) began her nursing career as a hospital nurse after graduating with a diploma in nursing from East Tennessee Baptist Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee.

After she obtained her BSN from the University of Tennessee, she was offered a part-time position as a school nurse with Oak Ridge Schools, the press release said. She worked as a school nurse for eight years and then was promoted to nurse coordinator as additional nurses were hired. Jernigan served on a state committee to update the state health guidelines for schools. [Read more…]

Robertsville Middle competes at Technology Student Association Regional Conference

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RMS TSA Group

The Robertsville Technology Student Association, or TSA, had an outstanding showing at the Regional Conference held in Knoxville on Saturday, January 24. (Submitted photo)

 

The Robertsville Technology Student Association, or TSA, had an outstanding showing at the Regional Conference held in Knoxville on Saturday, January 24. Middle schools and high schools from across the upper east region participated at the conference, a press release said.

Robertsville Middle School TSA members competed in 12 events, and they brought home 11 trophies. The following RMS students placed in their events: [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools’ 2020 Planning Committee meets Friday

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Oak Ridge Schools Logo

The Oak Ridge Schools’ 2020 Planning Committee will meet again on Friday, March 27, at 9 a.m. at the School Administration Building.

Oak Ridge Schools is committed to providing its students many opportunities and experiences through which to become aware of, explore, and plan for college and career, a press release said. In order to define its focus over the next five years, school officials and others are creating a five-year plan to be delivered to the Oak Ridge Board of Education for consideration.

Representatives from the business and industry community, parents, students, school staff, and board members have been selected to have an opportunity to provide input and serve on this committee, the press release said. [Read more…]

UCOR accepting proposals for new education mini-grant program

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UCOR Logo

UCOR, the federal government’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, is accepting proposals from area schools for educational grants with a specific goal of enabling new instructional methods in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM.

UCOR is a partnership between URS and CH2M Oak Ridge LLC.

The UCOR Education Mini-Grants will be awarded directly to teachers and schools for specific projects. All teachers are welcome to apply, but proposals should focus on STEM projects. For instance, a music teacher might apply for a grant for a math-related project within the field of music.

Schools in Roane, Anderson, Loudon, Knox, and Morgan counties are eligible to submit proposals. [Read more…]

First Oak Ridge Schools on the Run 5k is Saturday, March 21

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The first Oak Ridge Schools on the Run 5k is on Saturday, March 21. Organizers want to make it an annual event.

The 5k is sponsored by Oak Ridge Schools Office of Coordinated School Health. The race will take place on March 21 at Melton Lake Park. Race-day registration will open at 6:30 a.m. at the Melton Lake Pavilion, and the race will begin promptly at 8 a.m. Organizers encourage race participants to arrive about 30 minutes before the start of the race to ensure smooth registration.

Registration is $10 for students and $20 for school and city employees, and standard registration is $25. The price includes a race‐day T‐shirt and a participation ribbon. [Read more…]

Children’s Museum hosts SciGirls Training Saturday

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The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge will host a SciGirls Professional Development Training from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, March, 21, for educators interested in teaching science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM.

“SciGirls” is a PBS Kids television series that aims to change how middle school age youth think about STEM. In each episode, bright and curious girls put STEM to work. The show’s web site offers games and projects to connect students in a safe social networking environment. [Read more…]

Council to discuss postponed stoplight at ORHS, Senior Center lease extension

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Oak Ridge Turnpike and High School Stoplight

The Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday will discuss the proposed traffic signal on Oak Ridge Turnpike at the High School and a proposal to extend the lease on the Senior Center for five years through 2019.

Those are two of the agenda items for a Tuesday evening work session.

The City Council postponed a vote last week on a contract to install a stoplight on the Oak Ridge Turnpike in front of Oak Ridge High School. The light could eliminate the need for a crossing guard.

City officials had said the light could be installed by August 2015, but the postponement of the contract vote to the April meeting will likely delay the completion date, possibly until after school starts later this year. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools only need to make up two snow days

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Oak Ridge Schools used nine snow days this year but only needs to make up two, an official said Thursday.

“As we have gone through the process of examining our snow day allocation, we discovered that, in addition to the three extra student instructional days we had built into our calendar, we were also entitled to three stockpiled snow days because of our longer school days as compared to state minimum requirements,” said Chris Marczak, assistant superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools. “The state acknowledged on March 9 that these three stockpiled snow days were due to Oak Ridge Schools for this school year and for future school years. We therefore have six total possible snow days, rather than three.” [Read more…]