By Janie Shanafield, Jefferson Middle School
Jefferson Middle School FIRST Lego League teams hosted the 8th annual Atomic City Invitational on January 15. Area teams were invited to participate in the FIRST Lego League Cargo Connect challenge and alliance challenge, sumo bots, and Lego Great Ball Contraption. Fifteen area teams entered 45 robots into the events.
The winners were as follows:
[Read more…]
Oak Ridge resident Jason B. Rutledge, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, has received the Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor’s Commendation for Military Veterans.
The commendation was conferred in the form of a specially designed Challenge Coin, and Rutledge, 47, was nominated for the honor by Roane State Community College President Chris Whaley, a press release said.
Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings established the commendation in 2020 to honor the “service, bravery, and sacrifices of veterans in campus communities,” according to a TBR news release.
One veteran from each of Tennessee’s 37 community and technical colleges was chosen in 2021 for the annual honor.
[Read more…]Oak Ridge Schools has named its teachers of the year, teaching assistant of the year, and principal of the year.
The Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors outstanding teachers in Tennessee, a press release said.
“The Tennessee Department of Education staff applauds teachers who care about children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of Tennessee students, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement,” the press release said.
In Oak Ridge, teacher candidates are sought from each school in the district.
Here are the district-level winners, who were nominated by their peers. The information was written in the staff members’ own words and excerpted from their full applications. The narratives provide a window into each staff member’s authenticity and commitment to Oak Ridge students, the press release said.
[Read more…]
By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer
Roane State Community College student Kinsley Cagle has a job helping teach Einstein.
That’s the moniker for the famous African grey parrot at Zoo Knoxville. Einstein is a viral superstar whose incredible antics have been viewed more than 24 million times on YouTube.
Einstein’s hilarious mimicry of noises ranging from a variety of animal sounds and calls to complete sentences is a popular attraction at the zoo’s Wild Encounters area.
“She (Einstein) can make a lot of sounds,” said Cagle, a 23-year-old Oak Ridge resident. “At times, it’s almost like having a conversation with her.”
One of Cagle’s latest training endeavors involves teaching a species of duck called hooded mergansers to voluntarily waddle into a crate for safe, secure transport.
“I was never a ‘bird person’ before this,” Cagle said, “but I like being around them.”
[Read more…]
By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer
“Brain Food,” the name of Roane State Community College’s pantry for students at the Oak Ridge Branch Campus, has seen a big increase in students taking advantage of the free service.
A reduction in federal assistance that went into effect in late September is seen as one of the reasons for the uptick, an official said.
At the Oak Ridge campus, between nine and 11 students were helped by Brain Food each week during the Spring 2021 semester, while that number jumped to 18 to 20 students in the fall.
Last year, more than 120 students were served. After tallying the reported members of each student’s household, pantry staffers estimate that a total of 373 people received assistance in 2021. Mariella Akers, Oak Ridge faculty secretary and Brain Food volunteer, added that 120 of those household members were children.
[Read more…]
Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers will present his State of the Schools at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, February 1.
During the annual talks, Borchers gives an overview of what is happening in Oak Ridge Schools.
“Between the unusual events at the high school in December and groundbreaking of the state-of-the-art Ben Martin Track, Dr. Borchers will undoubtedly have much to share,” a press release said.
Lunch with the League is organized by League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.
Borchers started his education career as an elementary physical education teacher in the Sioux City (Iowa) Community School District. He also worked as an interim assistant principal and guidance counselor in Iowa City, Iowa; as assistant principal and principal in Mankato, Minnesota; and as associate superintendent of secondary schools for the Anoka-Hennepin (Minnesota) School District. Prior to joining the Oak Ridge Schools, Borchers was the superintendent of the Rockwood School District from 2010 to 2013.
[Read more…]
Many schools in the area are closed this week due to illness, but Oak Ridge Schools have remained open.
Anderson County Schools were closed Wednesday and Thursday and will remain closed Friday “due to staffing concerns related to illness.”
Clinton City Schools were open Wednesday but closed Thursday, and they will remain closed Friday due to student illness.
Knox County Schools were also closed Wednesday and Thursday and will remain closed Friday “due to staffing challenges related to illness.” The school system cannot shift to virtual learning district-wide because of rules established by the Tennessee Board of Education, Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas said in a letter to families. But individual schools may have to switch to virtual learning in the next several weeks depending upon absences, and the district could submit waiver applications to the Tennessee Department of Education.
[Read more…]
A $1.3 million project is under way to rebuild the Ben Martin Track at Oak Ridge High School by June. The asphalt base of the eight-lane track dates back to the 1950s, the rubber surface is washing away, and holes are visible in the disintegrating and patched lanes. The pole vault has been unusable since 2017, and track coaches and athletes from other schools have recently declined to compete in Oak Ridge because of the conditions.
That is expected to change with the new renovated facility, which could host large invitational, sectional, and college track meets, according to those involved. The renovation project will rebuild the asphalt base of the track, add a new rubberized surface, and replace underground utilities. All field events except pole vault will move to the infield. Shot put and discus rings will be on the north end of the football practice field, while long jump and triple jump will be along the straight section of track nearest the bleachers. The pole vault will remain on the south side of the track, but it will move to the west end near the field house.
ORAU has re-launched its Extreme Classroom Makeover competition, which will award a math or science teacher $25,000 for new classroom equipment, and video applications are due Friday, January 14.
“The mission of Extreme Classroom Makeover is to improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in public schools,” a press release said.
The competition will award one 3rd through 10th grade math or science teacher at a public school within a 50-mile radius of Oak Ridge with $25,000 in new equipment to update their classroom with the latest technology, the press release said. One runner-up will receive $5,000 in new equipment. There will also be a $2,500 viewers’ choice award selected by the general public from among all entries received.
Teachers interested in an ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover need to complete a video application by Friday, January 14, the press release said. Winners will be notified before Spring Break, and the technology will be purchased and installed in their classrooms for the start of the 2022-23 school year.
“The pandemic has taught us that technology is vital for every teacher in every classroom in every school,” said Pam Bonee, director of communications and marketing for ORAU. “Still, some schools do not have the budgets to keep pace with changing technology. Having $25,000 worth of interactive technology would give a boost to any student trying to learn STEM in today’s world!”
[Read more…]
Cook’s Comfort Systems of Oak Ridge donated a heating and air-conditioning unit to Oak Ridge Nursery School, and workers installed it this month.
The donation, which included the labor of two workers, was valued at about $8,000, said Jawrell Cook, owner of Cook’s Comfort Systems on Union Valley Road in Oak Ridge.
“They need the help,” Cook said of Oak Ridge Nursery School. The pandemic has been difficult for many organizations, Cook said.
He said he had three sons attend Oak Ridge Nursery School more than 20 years ago, and one of his employees has a son at the nursery school now.
[Read more…]
Josh Hunt, University of Tennessee music intern, with the Oak Ridge High School Band trumpets rehearsing for a Holiday Concert on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. (Submitted photo)
The Oak Ridge High School Band will have a Holiday Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 16, in the ORHS Performing Arts Center.
“Come enjoy an hour of music with the Percussion Ensemble, JazzKats, and Concert Band students as each group showcases their talent,” a press release said. “Fan favorite, ‘Sleigh Ride,’ by Leroy Anderson is a must hear!” [Read more…]
Literacy grants for 2022 are now open for projects in Anderson and Roane counties. The grants are made possible by the annual Lunch for Literacy in Oak Ridge, a joint effort by Altrusa of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club.
Application packages must be received by January 15. If you would like an application or have questions, send an email to lunch4literacygrants@gmail.com or call Dean Cheatham at (760) 443-4379.
