Oak Ridge Schools August Highlights: Policy, Performances & Friday Night Lights
- Ashley Craven
- Sep 7
- 3 min read
August flew by, and before we dive into the busy fall season, I wanted to share a few highlights from our schools and our community.
Oak Ridge School Board Meeting
On August 25th, the Oak Ridge Schools Board of Education held its monthly meeting. We started off on a high note thanks to the Glenwood third graders, who performed the Virginia Reel and had the whole room clapping along.
Most of the agenda was standard housekeeping — just small word changes in existing policies — but two items stood out:
Approval of an American Sign Language interpreter for Oak Ridge Preschool.
Approval of the Prisms of Reality contract, which will allow our students to learn with the assistance of virtual reality.
East Tennessee District School Board Meeting
The following evening, August 26th, boards from across East Tennessee gathered at Valley View Elementary in Campbell County for the Tennessee School Boards Association’s fall district meeting.
I’m proud to share that Oak Ridge had 100% attendance from our full Board and Superintendent. Even better, two members of our community were honored:
Drayton Keehn received the Student Recognition Award.
Sarah Cunha received the School Volunteer Recognition Award.
Both will now be considered for state-level awards in November. And congratulations to Scott Gillenwaters, who was re-elected as East District Director. Thank you to Campbell County Schools for hosting and for the delicious catering!
Go Wildcats!
The Oak Ridge Wildcats opened their season with a win at home against Halls High on August 21st. The team, the band, and the spirit leaders all represented our school with pride.
The next day at Billy’s Time Out Deli, I overheard two gentlemen breaking down the game play by play. That moment reminded me how much Oak Ridge really is home — a place where the whole community invests in our kids, both on and off the field.
The Wildcats followed up with another win against Clinton on August 29th, 42–13. Check the schedule here (or below) if you’d like to catch a game!
Masquers
Mark your calendars for September 11 th , 13 th , and 14 th . The Masquers will be doing their fall production – The Giver. The book The Giver by Lois Lowry was my first ever
introduction to the dystopian genre. It’s an incredible story and I cannot wait to see
these amazingly talented students bring it to life on stage. Get your tickets here!
neighbor2NEIGHBOR Launch
August also marked the launch of neighbor2NEIGHBOR. With referrals from the Veterans Affairs office and United Way, we’ve already served 12 families (54 individuals) with hygiene products not covered by SNAP benefits.
In September we’ll be adding ADFAC as a referral partner, which means the need will grow. Here’s where you can help:
$30 provides hygiene items for a family of four for a full month. Donate directly here
Or, if you’d rather wear your support on your sleeve, grab a neighbor2NEIGHBOR shirt — all proceeds go directly into the program.
Thank you to everyone who has already given. Together, we’re working to making sure no Oak Ridge family has to go without essentials.
Thank you, as always, for staying connected and helping our community grow together.
-Ashley Craven
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