Oak Ridge Today

JMS robotics team to represent school, Tennessee at FIRST LEGO World Championships

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The Jefferson Middle School Master Builders finished a robot challenge game with a high score of 204 and won the first place overall Champion's Award in the FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. The team received the Global Innovation Award. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

The Jefferson Middle School Master Builders finished a robot challenge game with a high score of 204 and won the first place overall Champion’s Award in the FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. The team received the Global Innovation Award. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Content written by team coaches—edited and submitted by Holly Cross

Three robotics teams from Jefferson Middle School competed in the FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville on February 11. One team will represent Jefferson Middle School and Tennessee at the FIRST LEGO World Championships in Houston in April.

To compete in the state championship, teams must first qualify at either the Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga, or Johnson City competitions. The Atomic Eagles, JMS Master Builders, and Radioactive Brix all qualified in Knoxville on December 3 at Hardin Valley Academy.

The Radioactive Brix (team # 3131) finished the robot challenge game with a high score of 90 and won second place in mechanical design. Members are: Johnny Clark, Grace Godfrey, Christopher Gorsuch, Ethan Holland, Colby Lawson, Josh Shubert, and Chrystalleni White. The team coach is Norma Franco. The team mentor is Justin Holland.

The Atomic Eagles (team #336) finished the robot challenge game with a high score of 110 and won the third place overall Champions Award. Members are: Ben Dallas, Lindsey Fiscor, Bethany Marshall, Amelie Nagle, Levi Parish, Brian Qu, and Alex Shanafield. The team coaches are Janie Shanafield and David Hundermark. The team mentor is Harold Shanafield. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge High School Cyber Patriot Team places third in state

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Submitted photo

Submitted photo

The Air Force Association’s General Bruce K. Holloway Chapter 367 extended congratulations to the Oak Ridge High School Cyber Patriot Team and mentor Keith Jackson for placing third in the state in the Silver Division and qualifying for the regional round.

The 2016-2017 school year marks the first year Oak Ridge High School has participated as a team in the CyberPatriot program competition. Jackson, Oak Ridge High School computer science instructor, is the mentor. This year, the high schools has a two-person team of Jacob Larose and Noah Hylton.

“We are already recruiting and training for next year,” Jackson said.

CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program, which has a mission to spark the interest of the nation’s youth in the area of cybersecurity and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and career paths.

This press release was submitted by Holly Cross.

Oak Ridge High School team advances to National Science Bowl

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An Oak Ridge High School team won first place in the 2017 Tennessee Science Bowl. Pictured above from left to right with their trophy are, front row, Coach Sharon Thomas, Henry Shen, and Wilson Huang; and back row, Stephen Qu, Joe Andress, and Adi Sujithkumar. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy)

An Oak Ridge High School team won first place in the 2017 Tennessee Science Bowl. Pictured above from left to right with their trophy are, front row, Coach Sharon Thomas, Henry Shen, and Wilson Huang; and back row, Stephen Qu, Joe Andress, and Adi Sujithkumar. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy)

 

After months of dogged determination to expand their knowledge of math and science, hone their competition skills, and function as a seamless unit, 60 high school teams from across the state of Tennessee gathered this past weekend to challenge their knowledge in broad science disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, and energy to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy annual Tennessee Science Bowl.

Although fiercely competitive, only one school emerged the winner. That was Oak Ridge High School, which placed first and received an all-expenses-paid trip to the DOE National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. The National Science Bowl will be held April 27-May 1. The ORHS team also received a $1,000 cash prize and a first-place trophy.

The Tennessee Science Bowl is the nation’s third-largest regional competition. Held at Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County Campus, the regional bowl prepares students to compete nationally with other exceptional students from schools across the country, a DOE press release said. [Read more…]

Alan Williams named 2017 Front Page Follies honoree

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Alan Williams

Alan Williams

 

Alan Williams, Local 8 News and CW anchor and a 37-year veteran in the broadcast business, will be the honoree at the 39th annual Front Page Follies on June 17.

The Front Page Foundation will present the dinner and show that each year roasts state and local newsmakers at the Knoxville Convention Center. Proceeds will fund journalism and broadcasting scholarships presented in Williams’ honor at the University of Tennessee and a media studies scholarship at Pellissippi State Community College.

“Alan Williams is a veteran broadcast journalist who brings both a professional approach and a personal touch to the news he reports,” said Frank Murphy, Front Page Foundation president.

“Alan can tell sports stories with insights he gained as an SEC athlete, then cover an entertainment event with the experience of a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Country Music Association,” Murphy said. “He knows the community well because he’s worked here more than 30 years, and he’s been an active community volunteer. That kind of perspective has meant a lot to his East Tennessee audience, and we’re proud to name Alan Williams this year’s scholarship honoree.” [Read more…]

Julie Kinder-McMillan named Teacher of the Year in Oak Ridge

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Julie Kinder-McMillan

Julie Kinder-McMillan

 

Julie Kinder-McMillan of Robertsville Middle School has been named Teacher of the Year for Oak Ridge Schools.

Kinder-McMillan is the schools district’s nominee for state-level awards that the Tennessee Department of Education gives each year to outstanding educators to recognize their meritorious service and devotion to students.

“The department applauds teachers who care about children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of Tennessee children, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement,” a press release said. “Each district in the state may submit one nominee for the state-level award.

Kinder-McMillan teaches eighth-grade reading/language arts as well as journalism and yearbook.

“One of her passions is to educate students about the Holocaust using the ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ as a learning platform, as Anne is close in age to her students,” the press release said. “It provides an entry point and puts a face on the nameless numbers of victims. Julie has participated in numerous trainings to enhance her teaching, and had the pleasure of bringing in Holocaust survivor, Mira Kimmelman, to meet her students.” [Read more…]

Register today: Roane State teaching symposium set for Feb. 25

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Roane State’s Symposium on Powerful Teaching, set for Saturday, February 25, will feature Nancy Surrett Gregg, a member of King University’s School of Education.

The annual event, now nearly a decade old, will be held in the O’Brien Theatre on the college’s main campus in Harriman.

Online registration is available through February 17 at www.roanestate.edu/symposium.

Same-day registration and check-in begins at 8:15 a.m. February 25 in the lobby. All area K-12 educators are invited, and many typically attend the symposium. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge school board to discuss preschool sites during Feb. 24 work session

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Elm Grove Park Preschool Conceptual Site Plan Jan 2017 Large

A conceptual site plan for a new preschool at Elm Grove Park on East Tennessee Avenue in east Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Studio 4 Design/City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Board of Education will discuss preschool sites during a February 24 work session.

The work session starts at 8 a.m. Friday, February 24, in the conference room of the Robert J. Smallridge School Administration Building at 304 New York Avenue.

Oak Ridge municipal and school officials had previously identified Elm Grove Park off East Tennessee Avenue in east Oak Ridge as a preferred site. It’s a city-owned parcel and the site of a former school, and it’s relatively flat and has city-owned utilities. Also, there aren’t many obstacles that would affect construction, and site borings have already been done, city officials said recently. But a petition drive has been started to object to building the preschool there.

In the meantime, city officials learned that a day care center recently closed at Scarboro Community Center, and they are now also considering adding on to that city-owned building off Carver Avenue. The Scarboro Community Center was built with federal Community Development Block Grant funds, and there is no debt on the building, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said. It already has a gymnasium, a cafeteria, offices, multi-purpose rooms, and smaller rooms, and there is a playground across the street, city officials said. Additional classrooms and administrative and staff space would be added. [Read more…]

Book sale at Roane State Coffey Library in Oak Ridge on Feb. 28, March 1

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Roane-State-Coffey-Library

The Coffey Library at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo by RSCC)

 

The Coffey Library at Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge campus will host its annual “Love Your Library” book sale Tuesday, February 28, and Wednesday, March 1, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. each day.

The sale will include fiction, non-fiction, hardback books, paperbacks, textbooks, cookbooks, foreign language, children’s books, craft books, and more. Only cash and checks will be accepted. Checks need to be payable to the Roane State Foundation. Prices range from $1-3.

The campus is located at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. For more information, contact Christi Moss at (865) 354-3000, ext. 4739, or mosscl@roanestate.edu.

Eight Teachers of the Year announced by Oak Ridge Schools

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Teachers of the Year were announced Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, by Oak Ridge Schools. From left top row, they are Amy Brewer, Ashley Branson, Emily Haverkamp, and Julie Kinder-McMillan; and from left bottom row, they are Kristi Boruff, Lars Handoff, Tom Froning, and Glenda Bergener. (Photos by Oak Ridge Schools/Composite by Oak Ridge Today)

Teachers of the Year were announced Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, by Oak Ridge Schools. From left top row, they are Amy Brewer, Ashley Branson, Emily Haverkamp, and Julie Kinder-McMillan; and from left bottom row, they are Kristi Boruff, Lars Hondorf, Tom Froning, and Glenda Bergener. (Photos by Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Eight Teachers of the Year were announced Friday by Oak Ridge Schools.

Here is the Teacher of the Year at each Oak Ridge school:

  • Glenwood Elementary School—Kristi Boruff
  • Linden Elementary School—Glenda Bergener
  • Willow Brook Elementary School—Ashley Branson
  • Woodland Elementary School—Amy Brewer
  • Jefferson Middle School—Emily Haverkamp
  • Robertsville Middle School—Julie Kinder-MacMillan
  • Oak Ridge High School—Tom Froning
  • Secret City Academy—Lars Hondorf

[Read more…]

Altrusa to award scholarships for women who are non-traditional students

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Altrusa International of Oak Ridge is offering scholarships starting at $1,000 to deserving women to support their pursuit of education and/or training, a press release said.

The Sarah Ketron Scholarship is intended for women who are non-traditional students and have interrupted their studies for work or family obligations and are returning to school to complete their education. It is named in honor of the late Sarah Ketron, Altrusa president in 1973-74. She was for many years a school counselor in Oak Ridge as well as a community leader and volunteer, the press release said.

The Altrusa Scholarship is available for women who are continuing their education, post-high school, at an institution of higher learning, such as a university, community college, or technical college. [Read more…]

Roane State students will collect donations for Central American countries at Feb. 10 Princess Theatre movie night

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Sixteen Roane State Community College students are traveling to the most impoverished areas of two Central American countries to deliver greatly needed items, and they are seeking the community’s help.

The Service Learning in World Cultures class is seeking contributions of all types of school supplies and clothing. Students will be at the entrance of the historic Princess Theatre in downtown Harriman beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday, February 10, to receive donations.

The college’s Arts and Lectures Committee is holding a free viewing of the film “Do the Right Thing” at 7 p.m. that night at the theater, located at 421 North Roane Street.

That award-winning comedy-drama, directed by Spike Lee, is often listed as among the greatest films of all time. The public is invited to view Friday’s screening. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge teen wins youth of year honor from Boys & Girls Clubs of Clinch Valley

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Jordan Hannah

Jordan Hannah

 

Oak Ridge High School senior Jordan Hannah has been named the Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley. Hannah was selected from among a group of four outstanding youth, a press release said.

He will now compete for the Tennessee Youth of the Year title and a $5,000 college scholarship from Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Youth of the Year title is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence, and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle, the press release said. Now in its 70th year, the Youth of the Year program honors the nation’s most awe-inspiring young people on their path to great futures and encourages all kids to lead, succeed, and inspire.

“Jordan is a terrific young man and will represent his club and community well at the state competition,” said Adam Wilson, chief operating officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley. [Read more…]