Oak Ridge Today

Tennessee Science on the Map: Fastest improving state on the Nation’s Report Card

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By Cathy Ginel

Have you ever run on a treadmill until you are out of breath? Have you ever gotten to a comfortable point and then pushed that speed up just a little more to give yourself a better workout? Tennessee science teachers are on the treadmill, have pushed themselves, are seeing results, and are gearing themselves up for more.

The Nation’s Report Card was recently released showing that Tennessee students grew faster than the national average in science. Tennessee is now ranked the fastest improving in the nation in science and has moved into the top 25 states in science. Tennessee has eliminated the achievement gap between male and female students and has narrowed the achievement gap between white, Hispanic, and black students in science. This encouraging news provided us with needed results and evidence that education changes in Tennessee are having a positive outcome with our students. Teachers are seeing results of their additional work and are pushing for even higher scores in the future. [Read more…]

Agle seeks re-election to Board of Education

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Angi Agle

Angi Agle

Angi Agle is running for re-election to the Oak Ridge Board of Education in the November 8 election. Early voting starts Wednesday, October 19.

Now completing her third term, Agle serves as the Board’s representative on the Tennessee Legislative Network, which helps to keep all Board members informed about proposed and new legislation affecting schools from the state level, a press release said. Agle has earned the Level IV Board Member designation from TSBA through continuing education through the Tennessee School Boards Association—in addition to civic and legislative advocacy.

“Oak Ridge Schools are now gaining traction toward some long-time goals, and I believe it is important to see these through,” Agle said in the press release. “The Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness, the five-year plan devised by the community-based 2020 Planning Committee, and the Access Oak Ridge initiative give us concrete goals, direction, and tools to ensure that our students—all of our students—succeed.” [Read more…]

Sixth-grade girl plays wide receiver, cornerback for Robertsville Rams

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Isabella Steade (11) plays wide receiver and cornerback for the Robertsville Middle School Rams football team. She is pictured above during the City Championship game with Jefferson Middle School on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 5:15 p.m.

A sixth-grade girl played wide receiver and cornerback for the Robertsville Middle School Rams this season.

It’s unusual but not unprecedented for a girl to play football, although it’s not clear if one has played wide receiver and cornerback before. Other girls have played for Robertsville before, but Steade might be the first one who wasn’t a kicker, Rams Coach James Branson said. He said RMS had a female kicker, Reagan Madden, a few years ago.

Oak Ridge Wildcats broadcaster David Clary said there were two females who played in the early 2000s, and one, Lori Niemeyer, kicked an extra point in a game against Sevier County in 2002. Niemeyer is the only female Wildcat to score in a football game, Clary said.

“There have been a couple of others that have played middle school though,” he said.

Other schools have also had female kickers. This year, Lenoir City High School senior Hailey Abston is the goalkeeper on the school’s soccer team and also the kicker on the football team. [Read more…]

Football photos: Jefferson vs. Robertsville in City Championship

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Jefferson Middle School quarterback Mitchell Gibbons (17) threw a 19-yard touchdown pass and scored twice on quarterback keepers on two-point conversions during a 16-12 win over Robertsville Middle School in the City Championship on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Jefferson Middle School Eagles won the City Championship for the second year in a row, beating the Robertsville Middle School Rams 16-12 in a game of fourth-quarter drama on Blankenship Field on Thursday. Here are photos from the game. [Read more…]

Football: Jefferson Eagles win City Championship for second year in row

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The Jefferson Middle School Eagles won the City Championship for the second year in a row, beating the Robertsville Middle School Rams 16-12 on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. Pictured above is JMS eighth-grader Jonathan Stewart (2), who caught a 19-yard pass for a touchdown in the first quarter. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Jefferson Middle School Eagles won the City Championship for the second year in a row, beating the Robertsville Middle School Rams 16-12 in a game of fourth-quarter drama on Blankenship Field on Thursday.

Jefferson took the lead late in the first quarter and held it until midway through the fourth quarter, when the Eagles led by 8-6.

But then RMS sixth-grader Jayden Williams intercepted a JMS pass at about the Eagles 25 and weaved his way into the end zone, giving Robertsville its first lead of the evening, a 12-8 lead with 4:27 remaining.

But after the two-point conversion failed, the Eagles regained the lead 17 seconds later, when eighth-grader Jonathan Stewart, who scored both touchdowns for Jefferson, returned a kickoff for six points.

This time, the Eagles kept the lead for good. Jefferson quarterback Mitchell Gibbons, who also played defense, intercepted Robertsville quarterback Ky Hirsch on the Rams’ next and final drive, helping to preserve the Eagles’ win. [Read more…]

Middle school football: Jefferson, Robertsville play in City Championship on Thursday

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The Jefferson Middle School Eagles and Robertsville Middle School Rams play in the City Championship game on Blankenship Field on Thursday, September 29. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.

Events start earlier, and there is an Eighth Grade Recognition Night Ceremony at 5:30 p.m.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Robertsville Middle School Rams 2016 football schedule

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Here is the 2016 schedule for the Robertsville Middle School Rams football team. The Rams started the season Thursday, August 11, at home against Concord.

Games start at 6:30 p.m. [Read more…]

School board has special meeting Monday to consider one-time spending approved by city

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Oak Ridge Schools School Administration Building

The Oak Ridge Board of Education will have a special meeting on Monday to consider approving $538,048 worth of one-time spending that was approved by the Oak Ridge City Council this past Monday (May 6).

If the Tennessee Department of Education agrees, the extra money, which had been requested by Oak Ridge Schools and the BOE, would not be part of the city’s annual “maintenance of effort” for the schools, a level of funding that can’t be reduced.

Most of the $538,048, or $425,000, would be used in the next fiscal year for principal and interest payments for a four-year technology lease that began in fiscal year 2016, the current fiscal year. That lease funded the purchase of convertible laptops for grade levels 5-8, supporting what is known as a 1:1 initiative and part of Access Oak Ridge.

The other $113,048 would be used for building improvements: [Read more…]

Robertsville students have ultimate review panel for year-long project: NASA engineers

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Robertsville Middle School students meet with NASA engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on Thursday, May 19, 2016. The small cube satellites that the students created were 1U (1 cube unit). This is an actual 6U (the size of 2x3 of the 1Us) cube satellite that is used to carry payloads in space. (Submitted photo via Oak Ridge Schools)

Robertsville Middle School students meet with NASA engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on Thursday, May 19, 2016. The small cube satellites that the students created were 1U (1 cube unit). This is an actual 6U (the size of 2×3 of the 1Us) cube satellite that is used to carry payloads in space. (Submitted photo via Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Most middle school students, when planning a trip to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are thinking of IMAX theater screenings, artifacts, and experiencing the physics of astronaut training in simulators such as the Space Shot and G-Force.

But what if these learners were given a real-life challenge that NASA engineers face on a daily basis, and asked to solve problems generally relegated to the top minds in the industry? What if those same young scholars were given the opportunity to then present their thought processes and design challenges to NASA engineers for a critical review?

This is the incredible experience Robertsville Middle School Ram Time participants were given in Todd Livesay’s enrichment course, a press release said. It is a part of the Response to Instruction and Intervention, or RTI2, model introduced this year in Oak Ridge middle schools, which provides rich opportunities for students who are exceeding grade level expectations in their core courses. [Read more…]

Jefferson Middle School wins one of twenty 2016 Shape the State grants

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Jefferson Middle School

Jefferson Middle School

Jefferson Middle School is one of 20 recipients this year of a Shape the State grant that includes the highly touted SPARK curriculum and its accompanying equipment for physical education courses. The grant includes an additional $1,000 for desired improvements to the wellness/nutrition/PE program.

Jefferson Middle School PE teachers will receive curriculum training on-site on September 19 and 20.

Robertsville Middle School received a similar grant last year, so this year’s grant will ensure all Oak Ridge middle school PE teachers have had the opportunity for the training, a press release said. [Read more…]

Reminder: Volunteers raise money for community playground at Robertsville Middle

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Robertsville Middle School

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

Reminder: Robertsville Middle School is in the process of building a community playground, and volunteers have scheduled a fundraiser on Friday, May 6, that will feature food and music.

This playground will be available for use by all students but also will be built to accommodate the needs of the special education students. The playground will also be available after school and on the weekends for families in the community of the school and families in Oak Ridge.

Robertsville serves more than 700 students in grades 5-8 and presently has no playgrounds available.

“This truly will be a community playground, not only by those who use it, but by how it will be paid for,” a press release said.

The school is partnering with individuals, private businesses, and local companies to raise the $20,000 to build the playground, the safety chips, border around playground, and benches, the release said. RMS donated $4,500 to get the project started, and so far, more than $8,000 has been raised. [Read more…]

Volunteers raising money for community playground at Robertsville Middle

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Robertsville Middle School

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

Robertsville Middle School is in the process of building a community playground, and volunteers have scheduled a May 6 fundraiser that will feature food and music.

This playground will be available for use by all students but also will be built to accommodate the needs of the special education students. The playground will also be available after school and on the weekends for families in the community of the school and families in Oak Ridge.

Robertsville serves more than 700 students in grades 5-8 and presently has no playgrounds available.

“This truly will be a community playground, not only by those who use it, but by how it will be paid for,” a press release said.

The school is partnering with individuals, private businesses, and local companies to raise the $20,000 to build the playground, the safety chips, border around playground, and benches, the release said. RMS donated $4,500 to get the project started, and so far, more than $8,000 has been raised. [Read more…]