K-12 Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Clinton Public Library hosts Bookaroo for summer reading finale

Posted at 12:11 pm July 7, 2018
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Clinton Public Library

The Clinton Public Library will host Bookaroo, a unique music festival finale with fun for all ages, for its summer reading finale, a press release said.

Bookaroo will be 5-7 p.m. Friday, July 20.

“Join us as we celebrate with a music festival-themed summer reading finale!” the press release said. “We will be doing rockstar makeovers complete with a photo opportunity to show off your new style. There will also be games, water activities, face painting, cotton candy, and more! We have fun for the whole family as we finish our summer reading with a rocking evening.”

Prizes will be given out from the finale through August 3, the press release said. Stop by the library with your completed reading log to claim your prize. [Read more…]

Information about Oak Ridge Schools registration, orientation

Posted at 3:09 pm July 2, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

All students new to Oak Ridge Schools need to register at their respective schools from Monday, July 9, to Wednesday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. Parents who pre-registered kindergartners in May also need to complete the registration process on those dates, a press release said.

Registration for new students in grades 9-12 will be made by appointment only, the press release said. For more information regarding high school registration, contact the registrar at (865) 425-9524. Information necessary for new student registration includes the following:

Child’s birth certificate (a certified copy for school records, not the hospital copy or mother’s copy)
Child’s Social Security number (optional)
Health insurance provider
The Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization available from your doctor or Health Department consisting of two parts:
- Immunizations — A Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization form showing the complete dates (month, day, and year) immunizations were administered.
- Health Examination — A physical examination is required for all children entering Tennessee schools (K-12). Oak Ridge Schools require a physical examination current since January 1 of the year the student will enter kindergarten. Students entering the seventh grade will also need to provide proof of the T-dap immunization.
Grades 1-12 only — Provide the name, address, and phone number of the school(s) where your child previously attended or provide report cards or withdrawal forms.

[Read more…]

First of its kind, Family Drug Treatment Court opening in Anderson County

Posted at 12:59 pm July 2, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

A Family Drug Treatment Court, the first of its kind in Anderson County, launched this week, and there will be a ribbon-cutting next week, a press release said.

The Anderson County Family Drug Treatment Court will be called R2: The Recovery and Resilience Program, the press release said.

R2 is a program for juvenile offenders who have substance misuse issues and have not been successful in maintaining drug abstinence. The program is a minimum of nine months and will incorporate treatment, family therapy, and group therapy paired with accountability and goal setting, the press release said.

“By addressing barriers in the home, we will enable adolescents in Anderson County to break free from the grip of generational drug abuse, setting them up to be successful contributors to our society,” said Anderson County Juvenile Court Judge Brian Hunt.

The press release said the program has been a priority for a large number of stakeholders in the community for many years. [Read more…]

Shen of ORHS one of 20 U.S. high school students selected for USA Biology Olympiad Finals

Posted at 12:59 am June 22, 2018
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

Photo of Henry Shen courtesy of Oak Ridge High School teacher Sharon Thomas.

Henry Shen of Oak Ridge High School is one of 20 high school students selected for the 16th Annual USA Biology Olympiad National Finals.

The top 20 students were announced by the Center for Excellence in Education in May.

Nearly 10,000 talented students from across the country registered for the USA Biology Olympiad, or USABO. Nearly 700 were selected as semi-finalists, a press release said.

The 20 finalists were selected following completion of a three-part, two-hour exam in April.

The 20 finalists will meet from June 23 to July 5 at the University of California San Diego for 10 days of biology instruction that includes laboratory training and conceptual understanding, followed by two days of testing, the press release said. [Read more…]

Council to consider budget with two-cent tax rate increase

Posted at 3:45 pm June 4, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Council is pictured above in December 2016. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a budget with a proposed two-cent increase in the property tax rate and what would generally be a 2 percent pay increase for employees.

If approved by Council, the tax rate change would be the first increase in years. Oak Ridge Today reported that the budget approved last year was the 10th one in a row without a tax rate increase.

The two-cent increase in the property tax rate, which would raise it to $2.54 per $100 of assessed value, would help fund the bond repayments for the new Oak Ridge Senior Center, Scarboro Park renovation, and Oak Ridge Preschool, and also provide the city some “breathing room,” Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said. The Senior Center, Scarboro Park, and Preschool projects are expected to cost about $13 million total.

Municipal officials said there has been a $750,000 shortfall in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, in revenues from Roane County. That shortfall is attributed to some sales tax exemptions, and it is believed to mostly be from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the major taxpayer in the Roane County portion of the city. The shortfall affected Oak Ridge this year and has been resolved this year, but the city had to use reserves, which affected money that could be used for capital projects in the next fiscal year, fiscal year 2019, which starts July 1, Watson said. [Read more…]

City, schools to present budgets to City Council on Tuesday

Posted at 10:43 am May 28, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Mark Watson

City and school officials will present their fiscal year 2019 budgets to Oak Ridge City Council in a special meeting on Tuesday.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education budget, which has already been approved by the school board, will be presented by Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers and Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer. The city has typically provided a little less than 30 percent of the school system’s funding.

The proposed municipal budget will be presented by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson. [Read more…]

Thursday night: Oak Ridge Choir seniors ‘say goodbye’ to ORHS in concert

Posted at 8:41 am May 17, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Come celebrate “The Greatest Show” with the Oak Ridge High School Choirs. Share “A Million Dreams” with seniors as they say goodbye to Oak Ridge High School, a press release said.

The concert starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $3 for adults and $1 for students.

Wednesday night: Oak Ridge school board has public hearing, first reading of budget

Posted at 3:22 pm May 16, 2018
By John Huotari 1 Comment

The Oak Ridge Board of Education has a public hearing and first reading of the budget for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, tonight (Wednesday, May 16).

The special meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Oak Ridge Schools Administration Building at 304 New York Avenue.

The school board had a line-by-line review of the budget on Monday, and the fiscal year 2019 budget was presented May 8.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Reminder: Community Wellness Fair hosted by city, schools on Wednesday

Posted at 6:13 pm May 15, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Reminder: The City of Oak Ridge Wellness Committee and Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health are teaming up to host a Community Wellness Fair. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 16, from noon to 4 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Admission is free and everyone is invited, a press release said.

The Civic Center is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Demonstrations, informational booths, and health screenings will be set up inside the gymnasium. Topics to be covered include: [Read more…]

Updated: Council authorizes final design for Preschool, Senior Center

Posted at 11:28 am May 14, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Pre-K School (Image by Studio Four Design via City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge Pre-K School at Scarboro Park (Image by Studio Four Design via City of Oak Ridge)

Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. May 15.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday authorized the final designs of the Senior Center and the Preschool and Scarboro Park Renovation. The two projects together could total about $13 million. The Senior Center and Preschool have been on the city’s wish list for a decade or two—or even longer.

Resolutions unanimously approved by City Council on Monday in 7-0 votes authorize Studio Four Design Inc. of Knoxville to proceed to the final construction design of the two projects. One project, the Preschool, would be at Scarboro Park, and the other, the Senior Center, would be at Alvin K. Bissell Park.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told City Council members in May 9 memos that Studio Four Design, led by Jacene Phillips, has achieved 50 percent design on the two projects and reviewed the proposed designs with city, school, and Senior Advisory Board officials and “achieved consensus on design requirements.”

The more expensive of the two projects, the Oak Ridge Preschool and Scarboro Park Renovation, has a current estimated cost of $9,792,674, or close to $10 million.

The Senior Center could cost about $3 million. [Read more…]

Children’s Museum offers free teachers workshop on May 5 & 19

Posted at 11:05 am May 4, 2018
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is offering teachers of kindergarten through fifth grade a Saturday morning workshop on healthy living and eating for kids. The workshop will bring teachers into the Museum’s Kids in Action! Healthy Living exhibit and to the garden in the Kids Go Green Environmental Center, a press release said.

The free workshop will be offered twice, from 8:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday, May 5, and again on May 19. Kids in Action and Kids Go Green staff and volunteers will lead the workshops and garden activities. These trainings are approved for in-service credit for teachers in the Oak Ridge school district, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Graduation Celebration needs volunteers

Posted at 6:40 am April 30, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Every year, hundreds of Oak Ridge students enjoy the free Graduation Celebration at the Oak Ridge Civic Center, a safe, all-night party on graduation night. This year’s party is May 31. Those who donate $250 by May 1 will be listed on the annual T-shirt given to grads and volunteers. To donate, register a student, or volunteer, visit www.GraduationCelebration.org.

Graduation Celebration, a free all-night party for high school graduates in Oak Ridge, will host its 21st annual event at the Oak Ridge Civic Center from 10 p.m. May 31 until 5 a.m. June 1.

About 85 percent of the graduating class attends each year, and close to 5,000 Oak Ridge students have enjoyed this tradition since 1997, a press release said. The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board picks the theme each year, and this year it’s “Old Hollywood.” The Civic Center will be decorated in black, gold, and red, with plenty of glitter to go around, said event chairperson Debbie Magill.

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

All of the city’s high school graduates, including those from Oak Ridge High School, homeschool, or private schools are invited to the free event, the press release said. [Read more…]