Nuclear Science Week
In honor of Nuclear Science Week (NSW), Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS). CNS is the managing contractor at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, and at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas. CNS has donated STEM dollars to our science departments. This is the second year they have shared NSW dollars with our schools. We appreciate Kristin Waldschlager working with Kathy Foust and our science teachers in elementary, middle, and high school to ensure our future workforce is prepared for science careers at Y-12 National Security Complex.
Elementary School Science
Ellie Murphy-Racey, a second grade teacher at Glenwood Elementary School, shared photographs of her students enjoying an American Museum of Science and Energy class provided by CNS in celebration of Nuclear Science Week. In the first photo, John Szluha is taping a marshmallow shooter he created in the class. In the second photo, Olivia Moorehead is activating her marshmallow shooter. The third photo shows her second grade students thanking CNS Y-12 for creating this learning opportunity for them.
Middle and High School Science
Each of our middle schools received a $500 donation for their 7th grade science departments. The money was intended for the purchase of physical science hands-on materials and online science games for instruction that students can access to reinforce science standards. The Oak Ridge High School science department received a $1,000 donation.
Dream it. Do it.
Covid-19 impacted our 2019-2020 Dream it. Do it. competition and subsequent awards ceremony scheduled for New Hope Center. For their efforts, the schools participating in video, art, and web design competitions received monetary awards, provided by CNS through corporate funds.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be able to offer the program when students are not able to go off campus during Covid-19,” said Anderson County Chamber President Rick Meredith. “Our goal is to create an awareness about careers in their own backyards. We can still get kids excited about manufacturing and expose them to the idea that there are lots of job opportunities and even careers in manufacturing using technology platforms such as Zoom,” Said Meredith.
The Chamber, Anderson County Schools and CNS partnered to bring the program to Anderson County. Area industries Aisin, Eagle Bend, Clayton Homes of Appalachia, Protomet, SL TN and Techmer PM are ready to take part.
“For CNS, it’s about the enduring global security mission that dates back to the Manhattan Project,” said Kristin Waldschlager, education outreach specialist of Communications at CNS. “We will continue to need highly skilled workers for our mission. Getting kids at the middle school age to begin thinking about those kinds of careers helps us all in the future.”
College, Career, and Technical Education and Art
We would like to thank Kristin Waldschlager (CNS) and Rick Meredith (Anderson County Chamber) for continuing to support the Dream it. Do it. competition. College, Career, and Technical Education (CCTE) Supervisor, Holly Cross, and the middle school CCTE and Art teachers would like to express their thanks for this continued commitment. They intend to use the donated funds to purchase consumable classroom supplies, a critical monetary need for every teacher.
Even with the challenges to last year’s competition due to COVID-19, students who created projects, but were not able to present them officially, still received monetary awards. For the Video Competition, prize money was split evenly among all 6 school teams, with $375 awarded to each to our Jefferson and Robertsville teams. For the Art Competition, prize money of $250 was given to middle school art teachers Sean Seyfert and Jim Dodson, who had 7th grade students actively working on and completing artwork for the competitions. The teachers have indicated they will spend the funds on consumable art supplies for their students. For the Web Design Competition, prize money was split evenly among 6 competitive schools, with each receiving $165.00.
The teachers for grade 8 middle schools will continue to receive new Go Pro cameras, a part of the tradition of the competition. According to Kristin Waldschlager, this is a goodwill gesture, with the primary goal of eventually populating the schools with Go Pro teaching tools that will have a positive impact on student learning for our future workforce.
