Education Archives - Page 6 of 13

Council to consider selecting Scarboro Park for new preschool

Posted at 1:20 am March 8, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The new preschool could be located at Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge or Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, and the city's school board expects to recommend one of the two sites on Monday, Feb. 27, a school official said Friday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The new preschool could be located at Â Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider selecting the Scarboro Park as the site for a new preschool on Monday.

The Scarboro Park site, off Carver Avenue in central Oak Ridge, has already been unanimously selected by the Oak Ridge Board of Education. The board endorsed that site during a February 27 meeting.

The other option had been Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge.

Elm Grove Park had beenÂ identified as the preferred siteÂ after a preschool report was published in October 2015. But there has been opposition, including a petition drive,Â to building the new preschool there.

Meanwhile, theÂ Scarboro community has welcomed the idea of building the new preschool at Scarboro Park, officials said. [Read more…]

Photos: Secret City Wildbots at FIRST Robotics Palmetto Regional

Posted at 11:24 am March 4, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Secret City Wildbots Team 4265 pit crew makes adjustments between qualification rounds at the FIRST Robotics Palmetto Regional in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Friday, March 3, 2017. (Photo by Angi Agle)

The Secret City Wildbots, an Oak Ridge team, is competing at the FIRST Robotics Palmetto Regional in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this week.

There were practice matches on Thursday, and qualification rounds on Friday and Saturday. Elimination rounds are scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The three-day competition is from March 2-4.

Here are photos from the Palmetto Regional by Angi Agle. [Read more…]

School board picks Scarboro Park for new preschool

Posted at 10:27 pm February 27, 2017
By John Huotari 4 Comments

The new preschool should be built at Scarboro Park, the Oak Ridge Board of Education said in a unanimous vote on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The new preschool should be built at Scarboro Park, theÂ Oak Ridge Board of Education said in a unanimous vote on Monday.

The site selection in a 5-0 voice voteÂ came after about 15 minutes of discussion during a school board meeting on Monday.

TheÂ other option was Elm Grove Park.Â That park on East Tennessee Avenue in east Oak Ridge had been identified as the preferred site after a preschool report was published in October 2015.

With one exception, school board members said the two sites are relatively equal as measured by a number of factors outlined by BOE Vice Chair Bob Eby, including learning environment, building and transportation costs, safety and security, expandability and impact on parks, and community and City Council support. The one significant difference: There has been opposition to building the new preschool at Elm Grove Park, while the Scarboro community has welcomed the idea of building the new preschool at Scarboro Park.

â€œThe difference is very stark,â€ Oak Ridge Board of Education member Angi Agle said. “The community support from Scarboro does make a huge difference.â€ [Read more…]

Elm Grove Park, Scarboro Park now being considered for new preschool

Posted at 3:50 pm February 25, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The new preschool could be located at Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge or Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, and the city’s school board expects to recommend one of the two sites on Monday, Feb. 27, a school official said Friday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The new preschool could be located atÂ Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge or Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, and the city’s school board expects to recommend one of the two sites on Monday,Â a school official said Friday.

Recent discussion had focused on Elm Grove Park and the Scarboro Community Center, where a day care center closed last fall.

But on Friday, Oak Ridge Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer said expanding the city-owned Scarboro Community Center would require “stair stepping and filling,” essentially work to move dirt and level the site. That’s not cost-effective and not great for the preschool, Fillauer said. Also, the administrative area and gymnasium at Scarboro Community Center would still be used during the day, and the preschool couldn’t be attached to those areas, Fillauer said.

The school board had a non-voting work session Friday morning, and Fillauer said members were shown a very impressive design for a preschool at Scarboro Park, which is across the street from Scarboro Community Center on Carver Avenue.Â Soil testing has shown that the site is acceptable for building, Fillauer said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge High School team advances to National Science Bowl

Posted at 10:39 pm February 19, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

An Oak Ridge High School team won first place in the 2017 Tennessee Science Bowl. Pictured above from left to right with their trophy are, front row, Coach Sharon Thomas, Henry Shen, and Wilson Huang; and back row, Stephen Qu, Joe Andress, and Adi Sujithkumar. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy)

After months of dogged determination to expand their knowledge of math and science, hone their competition skills, and function as a seamless unit, 60 high school teams from across the state of Tennessee gathered this past weekend to challenge their knowledge in broad science disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, and energy to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy annual Tennessee Science Bowl.

Although fiercely competitive, only one school emerged the winner. That was Oak Ridge High School, which placed first and received an all-expenses-paid trip to the DOE National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. The National Science Bowl will be held April 27-May 1. The ORHS team also received a $1,000 cash prize and a first-place trophy.

The Tennessee Science Bowl is the nationâ€™s third-largest regional competition. Held at Pellissippi State Community Collegeâ€™s Blount County Campus, the regional bowl prepares students to compete nationally with other exceptional students from schools across the country, a DOE press release said. [Read more…]

Opposed to building preschool there, park supporters having party Saturday

Posted at 12:17 pm February 9, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge is one of two proposed sites for a new preschool. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

People opposed to building the new preschool at Elm Grove Park plan to show their support for the park on Saturday. They are having a Save Elm Grove Park Party at the park from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, February 11.

“We are inviting all members of the community who wish to show their support, as well as the members of the Oak Ridge City Council and Board of Education, so that they may see firsthand how the community feels about this historic site,” said Jordon Bell, who started a Save Elm Grove Park petition.

Elm Grove Park is on East Tennessee Avenue in east Oak Ridge. It’s owned by the city, and it once had a school. It was initially the preferred site for the new Oak Ridge Schools Preschool, which has been on the city’s wish list for many years.

But Elm Grove Park is now one of two possible sites for the new preschool. The other is Scarboro Community Center in central Oak Ridge. A day care center recently closed at the center, and city officials are now considering whether to add on to that city-owned building on Carver Avenue to house the preschool. [Read more…]

City, schools could pick preschool site soon

Posted at 1:33 pm February 2, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Elm Grove Park Preschool Conceptual Site Plan Jan 2017 Large

A conceptual site plan for a new preschool at Elm Grove Park on East Tennessee Avenue in east Oak Ridge. Officials said the plan would keep the park and the walking trail. (Image courtesy Studio Four Design/City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge municipal and school officials could start selecting a site for the new preschool as early as this month. There are two options being considered: Elm Grove Park and Scarboro Community Center.

Financing for the project, which would include bonds, could be included in the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

In the meantime, a petition drive has been started to oppose building the preschool at Elm Grove Park.

The park had previously been announced as the preferred site for the new preschool, which has been on the cityâ€™s wish list for many years. Elm Grove Park is a city-owned parcel in east Oak Ridge off East Tennessee Avenue. Itâ€™s the site of a former school, itâ€™s relatively flat, and it has city-owned utilities. Also, there aren’t many obstacles that would affect construction, and site borings have already been done, city officials said last week. [Read more…]

ORHS pantry provides food, clothing, toiletries, cleaning products to students in need

Posted at 7:08 pm January 25, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-High-School-RISE-Pantry-8-Jan-4-2017-Web

A pantry started about a year ago at Oak Ridge High School provides food, clothing, toiletries, and cleaning products to students in need. The Oak Ridge Board of Education toured the pantry with ORHS administrators and teachers on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. From left to right are Laura McLean, Angi Agle, Allen Etheridge, Beth Estep, Leslie Shelton, Bruce Lay, Bob Eby, Bruce Borchers, and Keys Fillauer. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 1:25 p.m. Jan. 26.

A pantry started about a year ago at Oak Ridge High School provides food, clothing, toiletries, and cleaning products to students in need.

It’s known as the RISE Pantry. RISE stands for Raising Individual Students to Excellence.

The pantry started with a cabinet. It’s now housed in a former classroom on the third floor of the high school.

Items stored there include, among other essentials, backpacks and notebooks, pants and shirts, shoes and boots, and soup and beans.

“You can’t learn if your basic needs aren’t met,” said English teacher and coach Allen Etheridge, one of those who started the pantry. “(If) a kid asks, we will bring them down here.” [Read more…]

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

Posted at 7:27 pm December 5, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

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

â€œVoice of the Volsâ€ 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, programâ€™s school challenge. Seven other schools were also recognized. All nine were awarded $1,000 each for their programs.

The award sponsors wereÂ 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…]

Oak Ridge High School students named Siemens Semi-Finalists

Posted at 8:04 pm November 1, 2016
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

Wilson Huang and Logan Rumbaugh were recognized on Tuesday, October 18, as semi-finalists for the Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology, the nation’s premier research competition for high school students. (Submitted photo)

As part of the Mathematics, Science, and Computer Science Thesis course at Oak Ridge High School, students spend the summer developing and conducting their research that continues throughout the school year, a press release said. The final product by the end of the year is a professional quality research paper.

Huang and Rumbaugh developed a project titled â€œModeling Microscale Collective Motion.â€ The goal of their project was to model “flocking motion with obstacles,” the press release said.

The team was also able to 3D print a complex microscale model that would exhibit flocking behaviors. [Read more…]