Oak Ridge Today

Watch: Linden students sing, raise money, collect gifts for Gatlinburg elementary

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

linden-elementary-school-choir-benefit-for-pi-beta-phi-elementary-school-dec-14-2016

The Linden Elementary School Choir performs a benefit concert to raise money for Pi Beta Phi Elementary School in Gatlinburg, where families lost everything in the recent Sevier County forest fires, on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016. (Photo by Heather Jenkins)

 

Students at Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge sang, raised money, and collected gifts for Pi Peta Phi Elementary School in Gatlinburg.

Pi Beta Phi has almost 100 families that lost everything in the forest fires in Sevier County on November 28, officials said. The fires burned more than 17,000 acres, damaged or destroyed more than 2,400 buildings, killed 14 people, and injured many more.

Although Pi Beta Phi still stands, two students at the school, sixth-grader Chloe Reed, who was 12, and her sister Lily Reed, a nine-year-old fourth-grader, died in the fire. As of December 6, 95 of the school’s roughly 570 students were homeless. Five staff members also lost their homes.

In Oak Ridge, Linden’s third- and fourth-grade choir presented their Christmas Concert, a benefit for Pi Beta Phi, at Linden Elementary School on Wednesday, December 14. It was part of the Linden Kids Helping Kids initiative. [Read more…]

Thompson named vice principal at ORHS after Scott becomes administrator at Secret City Academy

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Stephanie Thompson

Stephanie Thompson

A new administrator, Stephanie Thompson, has been announced at Oak Ridge High School. Thompson will be an assistant principal, filling the position previously held by Christopher Scott, who is the new administrator at Secret City Academy (the alternative school).

In other recent changes, Lisa Downard is now principal of Oak Ridge Schools Preschool. The position she vacated at Linden Elementary School (assistant principal) is being filled by Heather Jenkins.

Thompson began her career as a substitute teacher in Marion County, Florida, at Lake Weir High School. She served in that position for 18 months until she was hired as a College and Career Lab coach in 1998.

In 2000, Thompson moved to Ocala Christian Academy with her children to serve as a full-time business teacher. There, she was charged with rebuilding the program, aligning the curriculum to the current Sunshine Standards of the public schools, and implementing and supervising a work-based learning program, a press release said. [Read more…]