Oak Ridge Today

Graduation Celebration for high school graduates on May 30

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Graduation Celebration 2018 — Card Games (Photo courtesy Graduation Celebration)

The 22nd Annual Oak Ridge Graduation Celebration—a free, all-night party for high school graduates in the city—will be held Thursday, May 30, in the Oak Ridge Civic Center. It will start at 10 p.m., according to event organizers.

The party, which goes until May 31 at 5 a.m., is aimed at keeping graduates safe in an alcohol- and drug-free environment while celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime event. Since the party’s inception in 1997, not one traffic accident involving a student has occurred on graduation night in Oak Ridge, and nearly 6,000 students have participated, a press release said.

“We are so glad to be able to offer this wonderful event to our graduates,” said Debbie Magill, chair of the planning committee. “It shows our youth that the City of Oak Ridge cares about students, is proud of their accomplishments, and wants them to be safe on graduation night. We could not put on this event without the generous support of the Oak Ridge Parks and Recreation Department, the Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board, and the citizens and businesses of our city.”

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Oak Ridge Schools ACT scores exceed state goals

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Oak Ridge Schools have announced that students are again performing well above the state average on the ACT in all areas.

In the 2016-2017 school year, the overall average composite was a 22.8. Oak Ridge students particularly excel in English on the ACT exam, at which Oak Ridge students score about 20 percent higher than the state average, a press release said.

In addition, more than 65 percent of Oak Ridge students score at or above a 21 on their average composite, as compared to the state average of 42 percent. [Read more…]

U.S. Cellular, Boys & Girls Clubs partner to improve STEM education, career exploration

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Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley Logo

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U.S. Cellular and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley in Oak Ridge announced a donation of $5,000 for 2016 science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, programming.

This contribution will expand efforts to help Oak Ridge students succeed in school and prepare for future careers, a press release said. Together with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, U.S. Cellular is committed to building better communities by championing K-12 educational programs.

This is the second year U.S. Cellular will support academic programming at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley and nearly 60 additional club locations this year, with an emphasis on promoting literacy, STEM learning, and career exploration and preparation, the press release said. [Read more…]