Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Schools receives $15K grant to implement Naval National Defense Cadet Corp

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools Naval National Defense Cadet Corp Check

Oak Ridge Schools recently received a $15,000 check to implement a new Naval National Defense Cadet Corp program at Oak Ridge High School.
The check was presented by Jessica Steed, third from right, executive director of Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, or ORPSEF, and Kristin Waldschlager and Gene Sievers, both of CNS Y-12. Also pictured, at left, is Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers. (Submitted photo)

 

Oak Ridge Schools recently received a $15,000 check to implement a new Naval National Defense Cadet Corp program at Oak Ridge High School.

The check was presented by Jessica Steed, executive director of Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, or ORPSEF, and Kristin Waldschlager and Gene Sievers, both of CNS Y-12.

The check was presented at a December 9 meeting of the Oak Ridge Schools Advisory Board. [Read more…]

Watch: Linden students sing, raise money, collect gifts for Gatlinburg elementary

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

linden-elementary-school-choir-benefit-for-pi-beta-phi-elementary-school-dec-14-2016

The Linden Elementary School Choir performs a benefit concert to raise money for Pi Beta Phi Elementary School in Gatlinburg, where families lost everything in the recent Sevier County forest fires, on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016. (Photo by Heather Jenkins)

 

Students at Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge sang, raised money, and collected gifts for Pi Peta Phi Elementary School in Gatlinburg.

Pi Beta Phi has almost 100 families that lost everything in the forest fires in Sevier County on November 28, officials said. The fires burned more than 17,000 acres, damaged or destroyed more than 2,400 buildings, killed 14 people, and injured many more.

Although Pi Beta Phi still stands, two students at the school, sixth-grader Chloe Reed, who was 12, and her sister Lily Reed, a nine-year-old fourth-grader, died in the fire. As of December 6, 95 of the school’s roughly 570 students were homeless. Five staff members also lost their homes.

In Oak Ridge, Linden’s third- and fourth-grade choir presented their Christmas Concert, a benefit for Pi Beta Phi, at Linden Elementary School on Wednesday, December 14. It was part of the Linden Kids Helping Kids initiative. [Read more…]

George joins elite group as ORNL-UT Governor’s Chair

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

easo-george

Easo George becomes the 15th Governor’s Chair. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

 

Easo George, one of the world’s foremost authorities on advanced alloy development and theory, has been named the 15th Governor’s Chair at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee.

George comes from the Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, where he has been professor of materials design and director of the Center for Interface Dominated High Performance Materials since November 2014. Prior to that, he had a career of nearly three decades at ORNL, where he was a distinguished research staff member and head of the Alloy Behavior and Design Group. He was also a professor of materials science and engineering at UT since 2002, a press release said.

“I am honored to have been chosen for this position,” George said in the press release. “There is already tremendous synergy between ORNL and UT in advancing materials research, and I cannot wait to help build even more momentum.” [Read more…]

Tennessee Science on the Map: Fastest improving state on the Nation’s Report Card

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

By Cathy Ginel

Have you ever run on a treadmill until you are out of breath? Have you ever gotten to a comfortable point and then pushed that speed up just a little more to give yourself a better workout? Tennessee science teachers are on the treadmill, have pushed themselves, are seeing results, and are gearing themselves up for more.

The Nation’s Report Card was recently released showing that Tennessee students grew faster than the national average in science. Tennessee is now ranked the fastest improving in the nation in science and has moved into the top 25 states in science. Tennessee has eliminated the achievement gap between male and female students and has narrowed the achievement gap between white, Hispanic, and black students in science. This encouraging news provided us with needed results and evidence that education changes in Tennessee are having a positive outcome with our students. Teachers are seeing results of their additional work and are pushing for even higher scores in the future. [Read more…]

Business sponsorships sought for robotics competition

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

vex_logo

Roane State Community College and Morgan County Career and Technical Center are seeking business sponsors for a VEX Robotics Competition event that will be held January 12-13 at Roane State’s Clinton location.

The VEX Robotics Competition, presented by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, is the largest and fastest growing middle school and high school robotics program globally with more than 16,000 teams from 40 countries playing in more than 1,350 competitions worldwide.

Roane State’s Clinton Higher Education and Workforce Training Facility will host a state VEX Robotics Qualifier Tournament Competition from January 12-13. Approximately 30 high school and middle school teams are expected to participate, a press release said. [Read more…]

Roane State campuses will be closed Dec. 17-Jan. 2 for holidays

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Roane State Community College campuses will be closed Saturday, December 17, through Monday, January 2, for the holidays.

The college will reopen Tuesday, January 3, and spring classes will begin on Tuesday, January 17.

Registration and other self-service options are available through the Roane State website at www.roanestate.edu.

For more information, visit www.roanestate.edu or call 1-866-GO2-RSCC (1-866-462-7722).

ORISE accepting applications for DOE energy fellowship summer program

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Women and minorities encouraged to apply; deadline is Dec. 30

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is currently accepting applications for the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2017 Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program, or MLEF, which is a 10-week summer program for students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math.

The MLEF Program provides students with the opportunity to gain and develop research skills by training under the mentorship of program officials and scientists within the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy, a press release said. This program is open to currently enrolled, full-time, degree-seeking students in a science, technology, engineering, or math, or STEM, program at an accredited college or university at the bachelor’s (sophomore or higher), master’s, or doctoral level with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. U.S. citizenship is required.

Participants will support Office of Fossil Energy mission-related research while gaining insight into how DOE is working to meet the energy challenges of the future. The goal of the program is to improve opportunities for women and minority students in the STEM fields although all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. [Read more…]

ORHS Brass Quintet at Band Concert this Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

wildband-brass-quintet-and-santa

Santa with the Oak Ridge High School Brass Quintet: Michael Bytell-Lancer—trumpet, Logan Swain—trombone, Ty Dahl—trumpet, Travis Pitz—horn, and Issair Franquez—tuba. (Photo credit: Atom Ray Photography, Angela Carr, photographer; used with permission)

 

The Oak Ridge High School Brass Quintet welcomed Santa to Jackson Square on Saturday, and the Brass Quintet will be just one of the student groups to be enjoyed at the ORHS Band Concert this Thursday.

“Band directors Spence Milligan and Mike Spirko—along with the JazzKats, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Combined Bands—invite you to come and enjoy an evening performance with a little jazz, a little jingle—and a lot of jolly!” organizers said in a press release. “The always popular annual rendition of ‘Sleigh Ride,’ by Leroy Anderson, performed by the Combined Bands will surely make your season bright!” [Read more…]

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

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

linden-elementary-schools-good-sports-always-recycle-award-1-nov-2016

“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

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

oak-ridge-high-school-orchestra

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

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

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

Roane State emergency services students gather donations to help firefighters

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Students Ruben Sotomayor, left, and Cameron Driskill gather supplies at Roane State’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences that will assist emergency responders working the Sevier County wildfires. (Photo by Roane State)

Students Ruben Sotomayor, left, and Cameron Driskill gather supplies at Roane State’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences that will assist emergency responders working the Sevier County wildfires. (Photo by Roane State)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

KNOXVILLE—A student at Roane State’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences collected donations for exhausted firefighters who have been combatting the inferno that has devastated Gatlinburg and the surrounding region.

Ruben Sotomayor, 29, of Caryville launched his effort Tuesday morning after seeing news reports of the widespread destruction.

“I felt I needed to do something,” he said. “They (firefighters) are exhausted. They need something to eat and drink.”

Sotomayor quickly received Roane State’s approval to set up a collection site at the college’s Knox County campus, 132 Hayfield Road. The campus is a hub for the college’s emergency medical services programs and courses. [Read more…]