Oak Ridge Today

Fund forming to help family after student’s death as counselors meet with classmates

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Linden Elementary School

Linden Elementary School is pictured above.

Counselors met with students at Linden Elementary School this morning, and a parent-teacher organization is forming a fund to accept donations to help the family of a third-grader who died Tuesday, an official said.

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers said there were five counselors from elementary and middle schools, and the school psychologist who serves Linden, at the west-end elementary school this morning.

“They have met with students who appeared upset or anxious,” Borchers said in a Wednesday afternoon e-mail. “I will tell you, though, it has been remarkably calm in my opinion.”

The boy was found unresponsive on a school bus on Wilberforce Avenue at about 4:10 p.m. Tuesday. An ambulance took him to Methodist Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The boy has not been identified, and the cause of his death has not been determined. [Read more…]

Rescuers tried to save unresponsive student, cause of death unknown

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Linden Elementary School

Linden Elementary School is pictured above.

The third-grade student who died Tuesday had appeared to be asleep on a school bus, officials said Wednesday.

But other students were unable to awake him at a bus stop on Wilberforce Avenue at about 4:10 p.m. Tuesday. The bus driver parked the bus and went back to check on the boy, but she was unable to wake him or get him to respond, Oak Ridge Fire Department Chief Darryl Kerley said.

She called 911. A dispatcher gave the bus driver instructions to care for the boy until rescuers arrived, Kerley said.

Firefighters responded within two minutes. The bus stop is behind a fire station on Tuskegee Avenue. The boy was taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. [Read more…]

Linden student becomes unresponsive on bus, pronounced dead at hospital

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Linden Elementary School

Linden Elementary School is pictured above.

A Linden Elementary School student who became unresponsive on the bus ride home Tuesday afternoon was later pronounced dead at Methodist Medical Center, school officials said Tuesday evening.

“It is a very sad day for Linden Elementary, Oak Ridge Schools, and the entire Oak Ridge community,” Oak Ridge Schools said in a press release. “The thoughts and prayers of the Linden and Oak Ridge Schools’ staff go out to the family. The student was a wonderful student who was a Lion through and through.

“Please join us in keeping his family, friends, and the entire Linden Elementary School family in your thoughts and prayers during this most difficult time.”

Linden Elementary School will provide grief counselors at the school on Wednesday to help students, parents, and friends deal with their thoughts and feelings associated with this loss, the release said.

The boy was not identified.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Oak Ridge Schools students, staff increase United Way donations by more than 25 percent

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Oak Ridge Schools Donate to United Way

Michael Mott, second from left, was the winner of the grand prize of a weekend getaway donated by United Way of Anderson County Loaned Executive Becky Hook, a retired Oak Ridge teacher. Mott is pictured above with Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, right, and Principal Bruce Lay, left, and Rick Morrow, UWAC executive director. (Submitted photo)

Students and staff in the Oak Ridge School system increased their contributions to this year’s United Way of Anderson County campaign by more than 25 percent, an official said.

“We are excited to be able to give back to our community,” said Bruce Borchers, Oak Ridge School superintendent. “This is a great community to be part of.”

“To see an increase during these very challenging times really means a lot,” said Rick Morrow, UWAC executive director. [Read more…]

High school students receive UT scholarships in math competition

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Larry Shen of ORHS, a Math Contest Winner

Larry Shen of Oak Ridge High School was one of 10 students who recently won $4,000 annual scholarships to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in a UT-Pro2Serve Math Contest. (Photo courtesy University of Tennessee)

KNOXVILLE—Ten students were recently awarded $4,000 annual scholarships to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in a UT-Pro2Serve Math Contest.

More than 600 students from 50 Tennessee high schools participated in the competition held Nov. 14 at UT.

The scholarship winners included Larry Shen of Oak Ridge High School.

The other nine winners were:

  • Jia Liang of Collierville High in Collierville
  • Sanghwah “Samuel” Rhee of McCallie School in Chattanooga
  • Jason Wen of McCallie School in Chattanooga
  • Anwesh Dash of White Station High in Memphis
  • Sajant Anand of Science Hill High in Johnson City
  • Saaber Pourmotabbed of White Station High in Memphis
  • Queena Lu of Pope John Paul II High in Hendersonville
  • Yunhua Zhao of Memphis University School in Memphis
  • Zachary Strickland of Webb School of Knoxville in Knoxville [Read more…]

Knoxville Regional LEGO tournament Saturday at Hardin Valley

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Knoxville Regional LEGO Tournament

About 100 students representing 18 Knoxville area teams will compete in a regional LEGO tournament Saturday at Hardin Valley Academy, working with miniature robots that perform required tasks on a table.

Robertsville Middle School is the defending state champion. Under the new format this year, the team needs to qualify in this regional tournament before advancing to the state tournament.

“This year’s theme in ‘Nature’s Fury,’” said John Tilson, a Hardin Valley science teacher and Saturday’s tournament director. “The students have a lot of problems they need to solve. They design and build a predominantly LEGO robot. They perform a certain number of challenges and they get points for each challenge. They have to do certain rescues, and they have to move certain items from place to place.” [Read more…]

State school report cards show growth in Anderson, Clinton, Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

On Wednesday, the Tennessee Department of Education released the annual state Report Card and local school systems made significant gains.

In Anderson County, assessment scores in elementary and middle schools scored As in math and social studies and Bs in reading and science. A year ago, the system received Bs in math and social studies, a C in reading, and a B in science. [Read more…]

ORHS Masquers present ‘Emma,’ company’s first English comedy

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORHS Masquers Jacob Moreno and Meghanne Hill

Pictured above are Jacob Moreno as Mr. Knightly in the ORHS Masquers’ production of “Emma” and Meghanne Hill as Emma Woodhouse. (Submitted photo)

By Dianna Williams, ORHS English teacher

The Oak Ridge High School Masquers will present “Emma,” a play adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” a beloved British novel published in 1815. Emma is the company’s first English comedy.

The play presents the story of Emma Woodhouse, a mischievous young woman bent on matchmaking whose efforts backfire when she sets her mind to finding a husband for her friend, Harriet Smith.
 Junior Meghanne Hill plays the starring role and senior Mackensie Russell will play Jane Austen herself, who comes alive as the narrator of the onstage version of the story.

“My favorite part of this production is that I’m finally getting to prove myself as an actor with as challenging a role as Jane Austen,” Russell said. “It’s hard to make a narrator a noticeable character.” [Read more…]

Willow Brook Elementary gets $1,000 for Top 10 recycling program

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Willow Brook Elementary Recycling Reward Grant

Bob Kesling, left, University of Tennessee broadcasting director and lead play-by-play voice of the Vol Network, and Teresa Shaffer, right, with Eastman Chemical Co. present Willow Brook Elementary School with its award as one of the top environmental programs in Tennessee schools. (Submitted photo)

Students at Willow Brook Elementary School in Oak Ridge were rewarded for their environmental efforts with $1,000 for having one of the top 10 school recycling programs in the state of Tennessee through the Good Sports Always Recycle, or GSAR, program.

Peter Blair and Christian Goethert from Willow Brook were recognized during an on-field presentation at the University of Tennessee vs. South Carolina football game, a press release said.

“We were so excited to learn that we were selected as one of the Good Sports Always Recycle school challenge winners,” Principal Lisa Light said. “We are proud to do our part in our community and are committed to teaching our students the importance of recycling. We are honored by this recognition and look forward to using this monetary award to strengthen our program.” [Read more…]

Secret City Wildbots have ‘Tech or Treat’ on Friday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Spook-Tech-Ular!

The Secret City Wildbots are hosting the first annual Tech or Treat at Oak Ridge High School on Friday evening. (Submitted image)

The Secret City Wildbots are hosting the first annual Tech or Treat at Oak Ridge High School on Friday evening.

Tech or Treat will support STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in Oak Ridge Schools and the surrounding areas.

Tech or Treat is similar to trunk or treat. STEM-related clubs and teams from around the area will set up booths in the Oak Ridge High School Cafeteria and hand out candy to community trick-or-treaters. There will even be special guests from technology research companies in the area, a press release said. [Read more…]

Five confirmed bullying cases in Oak Ridge last year, state report says

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools School Administration Building

Oak Ridge Schools reported five confirmed cases of bullying in the 2012-2013 school year. The Oak Ridge Schools’ School Administration Building is pictured above.

There were five confirmed cases of bullying in Oak Ridge Schools last year, a number that is much lower than in many other school districts across the state and in some other nearby districts.

The numbers were reported in a new, first-of-its kind report that said there were 7,555 reported cases of bullying in Tennessee schools last year. Nearly 73 percent of them—or 5,478 cases—were confirmed after investigation.

The report said Oak Ridge Schools had 14 bullying cases reported in the 2012-2013 school year, but only five were confirmed after investigation. All five of those were related to sex or gender discrimination, the report said. [Read more…]

Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw to lecture at UT

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Tom Brokaw

Tom Brokaw

Tom Brokaw, one of America’s best-known journalists, will be in Knoxville on Nov. 13 to give the Baker Distinguished Lecture at the University of Tennessee.

Brokaw is a former anchor for NBC News, and he is also an author and special correspondent for NBC News. He will speak at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in the University Center Auditorium.

The lecture is presented by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy. It is free and open to the public, but reservations must be made. Seats will be held only until 10 minutes before the event begins. Overflow seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in the Shiloh Room (Room 235). Visit this Web page to reserve a seat. [Read more…]