Oak Ridge Today

Red Ribbon Rivalry this month, buy ribbon for substance abuse prevention

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ASAP Logo

The 2016 Red Ribbon Rivalry is this month. It’s sponsored by Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP.

This year, in Anderson County, ASAP is holding the Red Ribbon Rivalry during the month of January, culminating on Sunday, January 31. The main goal is to raise funds to prevent and reduce substance abuse here in Anderson County.

Local businesses are competing against each other by selling red ribbons for a $1 donation and displaying them in their businesses to show support for substance abuse prevention. The winning businesses and employees will receive recognition for their efforts as well as individual prizes for the top sales associates. Anderson County High School, Clinton High School, and Oak Ridge High School are also competing this year to see who will be the recipient of the Red Ribbon Rivalry trophy to be displayed at their school for the year. [Read more…]

Colburn, an ORHS senior, named finalist in Intel science competition

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Thomas Colburn

Thomas Colburn

Thomas Colburn, a senior at Oak Ridge High School, has been named a finalist in an Intel science competition after a two-year project conducted with help from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory mentor. Colburn is one of only 40 U.S. high school seniors to be chosen as a finalist and the only one from Tennessee.

He’s also the first finalist from ORHS in the competition, the Intel Science Talent Search, which is described as the nation’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science and math competition.

Colburn’s two-year project is titled “Enhanced Decomposition of Plastic Waste through Photocatalysis.” It was mentored by Todd Toops from the Fuels, Engines, and Emissions Research Center at ORNL.

The 40 finalists receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., from March 10-16 to compete for more than $1 million in awards provided by the Intel Foundation, including three first-place Medal of Distinction awards of $150,000 each that will be presented to students who show exceptional scientific potential in three areas: basic research, global good, and innovation, a press release said. [Read more…]

Four Oak Ridge students sing in Bijou Awards competition

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Bijou-Awards-Composite-Photo-Jan-16-2016

Four Oak Ridge students sang in the Bijou Awards competition at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016. They are, clockwise from top left, Oak Ridge High School seniors Jacob Moreno and Treston Henderson; Marian Vacaliuc, a 7th-grader at Jefferson Middle School; and Sarah Hepler, an 8th-grader at Robertsville Middle School. (Photos by Savanna Schubert)

 

KNOXVILLE—On Saturday night, students from all over East Tennessee gathered for a night of competition at the Bijou Theatre. Students from across the region had the chance to audition to win a spot to perform on stage at the historic location.

The Fourth Annual Bijou Awards was a competition to showcase students and their performing arts talents, such as singing and acting. The competition had five different categories, and five students were selected for each category. The categories were: Rising Star, Male Acting, Female Acting, Male Singing, and Female Singing.

Four Oak Ridge Schools students were chosen to compete in this year’s awards. Sarah Hepler, an eighth-grader from Robertsville Middle School, and Marian Vacaliuc, a seventh-grader from Jefferson Middle School, sang in the Rising Star competition. Treston Henderson and Jacob Moreno, seniors from Oak Ridge High School, competed in the Male Singing category. [Read more…]

Video: Four Oak Ridge students compete in Bijou Awards

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Four Oak Ridge students competed in the Bijou Awards at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016. (Photo by Savanna Schubert)

 

KNOXVILLE—Four Oak Ridge students competed in the Bijou Awards in Knoxville on Saturday.

Freelance contributor Savanna Schubert interviewed the four students and organizer Jay Apking at the Bijou Theatre. The four students are Jacob Moreno and Treston Henderson of Oak Ridge High School, Sarah Hepler of Robertsville Middle School, and Marian Vacaliuc of Jefferson Middle School.

See the video by Schubert here:

See this story for more information about the Saturday night Bijou Awards.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

OR Schools asks for state help with military program, consistency for teachers

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Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen, center, visited Oak Ridge High School on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. Also pictured are ORHS Principal Martin McDonald, left, and Tennessee Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge Schools could use help with a military program, one of the so-called “seven keys” to college and career readiness, education officials told a state official on Thursday.

State officials can also help by “keeping teachers on the same path for more than one year,” Oak Ridge Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer told Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen during a Thursday afternoon tour of Oak Ridge High School.

“Let’s give them (teachers) some consistency,” Fillauer said. McQueen’s path is called TNReady, Fillauer said. That’s described as a “new and improved” TCAP (Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program), which students have taken since 1988.

McQueen is visiting all districts as part of a statewide tour. On Thursday, it was Oak Ridge’s turn. In addition to Oak Ridge High School, McQueen toured Glenwood Elementary School and Robertsville Middle School. [Read more…]

Tennessee education commissioner to visit Oak Ridge Schools on Thursday

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Candice McQueen

Candice McQueen

Candice McQueen, Tennessee’s education commissioner, will visit Oak Ridge Schools on Thursday, January 7.

During her visit, McQueen will tour Glenwood Elementary School, Robertsville Middle School, and Oak Ridge High School. She will also take part in an afternoon roundtable discussion that will feature about 30 administrators and teachers across a wide cross-section of grade levels, subject areas, and schools. They will discuss successes and challenges that educators are facing in their jobs, Oak Ridge Schools said.

Included in the discussion will be the Tennessee Department of Education’s “New Goals to Measure Education Progress,” which align with Oak Ridge Schools’ Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness. [Read more…]

ORHS senior a national winner of Aspirations in Computing Award

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Melissa Yuan

Melissa Yuan

Oak Ridge High School senior Melissa Yuan was chosen as a national winner for the 2016 Aspirations in Computing Award from NCWIT, or National Center for Women and IT.

Yuan was among 35 girls chosen from more than 3,100 applicants nationwide, Oak Ridge Schools said in a press release. She is only the third girl from Tennessee to ever win this award. The second was Patricia Edou from ORHS in 2015.

Yuan will receive an all-expenses paid trip, provided by Bank of America, to the National Award weekend, which includes the Award ceremony and showcase, March 4-6, 2016 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. She will also receive $1,000 and a new laptop.

Yuan is a senior at Oak Ridge High School who is passionate about research and music. [Read more…]

Four Oak Ridge students competing in Bijou Awards in January

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Jacob Moreno

Jacob Moreno

Four Oak Ridge students will compete in the Bijou Awards in January.

The Fourth Annual Bijou Awards will showcase the talent of high school students in and around Knoxville. The 2016 Bijou Awards Gala is on January 16 at the Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville.

Oak Ridge High School seniors Treston Henderson and Jacob Moreno will both compete in the male singing category.

Sarah Hepler, an eight-grader at Robertsville Middle School, and Marian Vacaliuc, a seventh-grader at Jefferson Middle School, will compete in the rising star category. [Read more…]

Senter, ORHS history teacher, named Star 102.1 Educator of the Month

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Oak Ridge High School student Becky Hanaver, left, nominated Ken Senter, an Advanced Placement U.S. history teacher, for Star 102.1 Educator of the Month. (Photo by Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Ken Senter, an Advanced Placement United States history teacher at Oak Ridge High School, has been named Star 102.1 Educator of the Month. The award was announced December 2.

Here is more information from an Oak Ridge Schools press release:

Ken Senter has been an Advanced Placement United States History teacher at Oak Ridge High School for the past two decades. He is known for the rigorous preparation he gives to students for the AP exam, even writing and publishing his own work to help students make meaningful connections to their nation and its history. [Read more…]

New ORHS traffic signal starts operating Wednesday

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ORHS-Civic-Center-Stoplight-Dec-11-2015

The new stoplight on Oak Ridge Turnpike between Oak Ridge High School and the Oak Ridge Civic Center will start operating on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The new traffic light in front of Oak Ridge High School on Oak Ridge Turnpike will start operating on Wednesday, December 30.

The stoplight has been operating in a temporary, flashing mode since the week of December 14.

City officials want to start operating the stoplight while school is out, said Roger Flynn, director of the Oak Ridge Public Works Department.

The Oak Ridge City Council approved a contract to install the stoplight in a 4-3 vote in April. [Read more…]

Lots of basketball this weekend in Oak Ridge, Clinton, Anderson County

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Information from WYSH Radio

If you like watching high school basketball, then this is the weekend for you, with two holiday hoops tournaments and a two-day basketball showcase right in Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Anderson County.

The Don W. Lockard Invitational at Clinton High School begins on Friday at 12:30 p.m., continues Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and concludes on Sunday beginning at 12:30 p.m.

In addition to the boys and girls teams from Clinton, squads from Cannon County, Meigs County, Stone Memorial, Claiborne County, Sullivan North, and Knoxvill Central will participate.

Tickets for the Friday session (six games) are $6; tickets for Saturday’s eight-game session are $12, and tickets for the consolation and championship games Sunday are $6. You can also purchase a three-day tournament pass for $20. [Read more…]

New stoplight at ORHS could start flashing next week, begin operating Dec. 30

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ORHS-Civic-Center-Stoplight-Dec-11-2015

The new stoplight on Oak Ridge Turnpike between Oak Ridge High School and the Oak Ridge Civic Center could start flashing next week and begin operating on Dec. 30, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The new stoplight on Oak Ridge Turnpike could start flashing next week and begin operating on December 30, a city official said. The new stoplight is between Oak Ridge High School and Oak Ridge Civic Center.

City officials want to start operating the stoplight while school is out, said Roger Flynn, director of the Oak Ridge Public Works Department.

The light poles and power have been installed, but the lights themselves still need to be hung and work on signs for the traffic light is under way. [Read more…]