Thanksgiving Break for students and staff will be November 23, 24, and 25th. Tuesday, November 22nd is a FULL day of school.

All advance tickets for Friday’s game will be sold via the GoFan digital ticket platform https://gofan.co/tssaa for $8 each.

Tickets will be on sale at the game for $10 per TSSAA guidelines.

Powell High School

2136 W Emory Rd.
Powell, TN 37849

City of Oak Ridge’s Teen Basketball League registration opened on October 31 and will close on December 10. A boy’s and a girl’s division will be offered for the 2023 winter season with games scheduled to be played on Saturdays beginning January 7, 2023. Players must be no older than 18 to participate, must be enrolled in school, and may not be affiliated with any TSSAA basketball programs during the 2022/2023 season. Additionally, our co-ed volleyball program is open to anyone 14+. Any team comprised of teens must have a coach that is 21+.

Additional information for the basketball program may be found at bit.ly/ORteenbasketball or via e-mail: mreece@oakridgetn.gov.

Lady Wildcats, coached by Paige Taylor, open their season this week. Read all about it!

https://oakridgeathletics.com/2022/11/10/2022-2023-lady-wildcat-hoops-preview/

Wildcats Win Again! The ORHS swim team took on Knox Catholic Thursday night coming away with a 193-129 victory and is now 3-0 with an average margin of victory of 72.7 points/meet. Winning 17 of 22 events including 5 of 6 relays showed the team’s complete dominance throughout the meet. Individual winners were: Ella Kendall (200 Free and 100 Fly), Micah Brown (200 Free), Andrew Chou (200 IM and 100 Back), Rosalee Wenhame (50 Free and 500 Free), Natalie Steger (100 Free), Stephen Zhukov (100 Free and 100 Breast), Amelia Hodge (100 Breast), and Dylan Hodge (500 Free). The Girls and Boys Medley relays and 4x100 Free Relays were all victorious and have yet to be beaten this year. The Girls 4 x 50 Free Relay team also won and consisted of Aleyna Russell, Sasha Umansky, Brennan Toth, and Gracie Saunders. KISL cuts made: Natalie Steger (200 Free-2:21.65), Micah Brown (200 Free-2:04.38), Aleyna Russell (200 IM-2:37.98), Gracie Saunders (100 Fly-1:25.35 and 100 Breast-1:29.16), Colin Suddeth (100 Fly-1:02.89), Dylan Hodge (500 Free-6:04.00), and Brennan Toth (100 Back-1:18.13). State cuts made: Stephen Zhukov (100 Free-52.69 and 100 Breast-1:06.99). Our next meet is at home on Dec. 6th against Knox Webb. Sophomore Andrew Chou is pictured right and Jon Millet is pictured below.

ORHS Sports Media team were excited to receive a backstage tour of 151 Creative, the media arm of UT Athletics. Students were able to ask questions of their videographers, photographers, and graphic design professionals with the goal to continue to grow and improve the sports media team at Oak Ridge HS. To celebrate their learning, students were treated to Gus' Fried Chicken. We are thankful for the work these students are doing to celebrate their classmates. The investment of time and dedication is phenomenal. We couldn't do it without their help.

OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS IS NOT THE SAME AS ANDERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS!

Decision to close or delay the start of school will be decided by 5:30 AM.

Once decision has been made, the following actions will take place:

1. Email will be sent to EX WEATHER (Executive Team, Principals, Food Service, Transportation, ECC, and media contacts).

2. Skylert message will be created and sent to staff and families.

3. Closure/School Delay information will be posted on social media platforms.

Class Rings

Jostens will return on Thursday, November 17, and Thursday, December 8, to take orders for class rings. They will be located in the Main Lobby and the Arena Concessions’ Kiosk at lunch only. Any student at ORHS can order a class ring. A $60 deposit is required, and class ring packets are available from Mrs. Ledden in CS347. Orders may also be placed online at https://www.jostens.com/.

Graduation Supplies

Jostens will return only twice more to collect graduation supply orders from seniors. They will be in-person at ORHS on Thursday, November 17, and Thursday, December 8, and will be located in the Main Lobby and the Arena Concessions’ Kiosk at lunch only. Seniors may only borrow a cap & gown from a senior who graduated in 2022 since we are now using the new customized gowns.

Graduation supply packets can be picked up from Mrs. Ledden in CS347. The cap & gown unit includes the tassel and is $42 + tax for a total of $46.10. The cap & gown order should be placed now and can be paid for in the spring. However, if additional items are ordered, a $60 deposit is required. Graduation supply orders may also be placed online at https://www.jostens.com/. To place an online order, click on Find My School at the top and find Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Click on Graduation Shop. Scroll to the bottom and click Shop Now. Scroll down and click on the Cap & Gown Unit. If there are questions, please contact Mrs. Ledden at tledden@ortn.edu.

IMPORTANT: The due date for on-time graduation supply orders is Friday, December 9, 2022. Current order form prices are only good until that date. After December 9, 2022, prices for all items including the cap & gown unit will DOUBLE! Again, the last date to place an on-time order in-person at ORHS to the Jostens reps is Thursday, December 8, 2022. Mrs. Ledden does not accept orders.

Students must leave the building by 3:30 in the afternoon unless they are involved in a supervised activity after school. Students must be with their sponsor or coach if they are in the building after school. Parents, please make arrangements to pick your child up by 3:30 daily. We can not have students in the building unsupervised after school hours.

There are many important dates coming up for the Class of 2023! Please make sure these dates are on your calendars.

• Tuesday, December 13, 2022 3:40 p.m. – Mandatory TNPromise Meeting for Students - ORHS Food Court

• Tuesday, January 24, 2023 5:30-7:30 Financial aid completion night - ORHS Media Center/Library

• Wednesday, March 1st – FAFSA deadline for the Class of 2023 (fafsa.gov)

As students receive admissions decisions from colleges, they should remember to update Naviance with their results!

Tuesday, January 24th - ORHS will have financial aid representatives here to help in the ORHS Media Center to help parents/guardians complete the FAFSA. Both meetings are in the ORHS Media Center from 5:30-7:30 PM. Parents should bring a laptop & tax info.

Don’t forget the FAFSA must be completed by MARCH 1, 2023 to maintain certain scholarship eligibility including TNPromise.

Do you need help with the FAFSA but you are unable to attend one of the help sessions at ORHS?

Live 2023-24 FAFSA walkthroughs will be every Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. EST through December 12.

Parents and students must register to watch the live demonstration using the links below…

November 14: https://tn.webex.com/tn/j.php?RGID=r21f273836a1dcdc95a911304957d1315

November 21: https://tn.webex.com/tn/j.php?RGID=rb6038fffc1933b2a99ce8a3d5847e6dc

November 28: https://tn.webex.com/tn/j.php?RGID=r7022050b35b7697437e659434cca48f2

December 5: https://tn.webex.com/tn/j.php?RGID=r01a17347f24d9679d52914dfe66d942c

December 12: https://tn.webex.com/tn/j.php?RGID=rd714662146f4bfa5931718212f2394ef

2023-24 FAFSA Section-by-Section Videos have been recorded.

The 5-minute’ish recordings from the 12th grade family perspective can be found at https://www.collegefortn.org/fafsa/.

FAMILIES WANTING A YEARBOOK - We have sold 500 yearbooks. There are only 250 books remaining to be sold. The price will go up in January to $80.00. Take advantage of the 4 payment plan with Paypal and purchase the Oak Log today!

Coach Fowler: "Troy is an excellent leader for our new team. He encourages, offers advice, and, most of all, leads by example. He was instrumental in helping this team get off the ground and be as successful as it is now. Troy is an amazing bowler but is an even better person."

The goal is to place a wreath on each Veterans' headstone in Oak Ridge Memorial Park. There is no Federal or State funding for this effort. You can help with a $15.00 per wreath.

www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/TN0248P

The Tennessee Governor's Schools provide eleven challenging and high-intensity programs for rising 11th and 12th grade students nominated by high school faculty. Each school offers a unique learning environment for students interested in the arts, humanities, agriculture science, STEM programs, advanced mathematics, physics, leadership, international studies, Tennessee history, or potential teaching careers. Students interested in participating in a Governor's School should obtain the application from a high school administrator, school counselor, or other faculty member. Applications, submission information, and critical deadlines will be posted on the webpages of each individual Governor’s Schools site.

Please look at the dates of the applications because many are not available yet.

https://ortn.instructure.com/courses/19148/files/2110356/download

It's TIME for signatures for the annual senior shirt! Please download and read the memo.

There is a mandatory meeting for all Seniors for the TN Promise. The meeting will be in the Food Court at ORHS, December 13th, 3:40 pm.

As a reminder, this one-hour meeting will be mandatory for students to attend to maintain their TN Promise scholarship eligibility. It is extremely important that students make it a priority to attend the in-person mandatory meeting as the meeting will provide an overview of TN Promise/tnAchieves requirements and allow students to meet with their volunteer mentor.

Although this is a mandatory requirement, we do have an excuse form available to students that have a conflict with the assigned meeting date and/or time. It is important that students are reviewing our excuse form policy, which can be found here, prior to submitting an excuse form. Once a student has submitted an excuse form, they will receive follow-up communication from tnAchieves within 48 hours to the email address listed on their TN Promise application. If the excuse form is approved, they will be given access to a mandatory webinar via email on February 1, 2023 that must be completed by March 1, 2023 in order to remain eligible for TN Promise. Please encourage students to make arrangements to attend the meeting, if possible. Otherwise, you can find a link to the excuse form here!

We hope to work together to make the mandatory meeting as seamless as possible for you, your staff, and our students. We kindly ask for your assistance when it comes to the items listed below!

The FAFSA and CSS/Profile open for the 2023 - 2024 school year on Saturday, 10/01/2022.

• Most people only need to file the FAFSA. You will need to also file the CSS/Profile if you are applying to one of these schools.
• This page has a list of the documents you need to file the FAFSA.
• This page has everything you need to know about filing the FAFSA.

For those who want in-person help completing the FAFSA, we will have financial aid representatives here to help in the ORHS Media Center on Thursday, November 10th and Tuesday, January 24th

• Both meetings are in the ORHS Media Center from 5:30-7:30 PM. Bring your laptop & tax info.
• Don’t forget the FAFSA must be completed by MARCH 1, 2023 to maintain certain scholarship eligibility.

Football Wednesday nights are back! Down the Steps with Scott Cummings" will be hosted LIVE at Oakies at 7:00 pm Wednesday night on Channel 12. Join Coach Cummings and a host of Wildcats while eating supper for a fun and informative hour as they prepare for Friday night.

Check out the new website (https://orhsmasquers.my.canva.site )! Check out these resources for all your Masquers information.

Get ready to auditions for The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical on Monday, November 21st and Tuesday, November 22nd. Go to https://orhsmasquers.my.canva.site/#page-1 for audition information and links to audition songs, monologues, choreography examples & tutorials, the audition form, and sign-ups!

For more Masquers News checkout our Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/d01hy and/or our Website: https://orhsmasquers.my.canva.site/

Important Dates to Remember for 2022-23:

• November 14th - Interest Meeting for The Lightning Thief – Be looking at audition information NOW!

• November 21st & 22nd – Auditions for The Lightning Thief (Spring Musical)

• November 28th - Callbacks for The Lightning Thief

• January 3rd – March 2nd – Rehearsals for The Lightning Thief

• January 5th-April 21st – Rehearsals for Atomic Acts (Mondays for Improv and Wednesdays for Scenes until tech week)

• March 3rd-5th – Performances of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

• April 21st – Atomic Acts Performance

• May 5th - Masquers Awards Banquet

Seniors – be sure to check out the Counseling Offices’ Scholarship and Career Page! It is filled with tons of links to scholarship search programs, private and public scholarships, and career information. https://www.ortn.edu/highschool/academics/school-counseling/testing-scholarship-and-career/ Stop by the Counseling Office if you have any questions.

Parents, all seniors should complete the local scholarship form. Submission is due in the Counseling Office no later than December 2, 2022. However, all sections must be completed. Ms. O'Rourke will check the forms and notify students of missing information. This one scholarship form will be used by many Oak Ridge and Anderson Co review teams to provide financial rewards to students. Don't wait until the last minute! Fill out the form today.

Click here for the Class of 2023 Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/kc3se

The newsletter is full of information for seniors and their families. Please mark your calendars for these important upcoming dates:

• August 1 – November 1, 2022 – TNPromise Scholarship Application Open. Apply at www.tnpromise.gov

• November 1, 2022 - TN Promise Scholarship Application Deadline

• November 10, 2022 5:30-7:30 Financial aid completion night - ORHS Media Center/Library

• December 13, 2022 3:40 p.m. – Mandatory TNPromise Meeting for Students - ORHS Food Court

• January 24, 2023 5:30-7:30 Financial aid completion night - ORHS Media Center/Library

• March 1st – FAFSA deadline for the Class of 2023 (fafsa.gov)

It's time to start rolling on several scholarship and TnPromise items. Parents should review the college application responsibilities checklist to have a complete understanding of the responsibilities of families in this process. Please download the forms below!

Counselors:

Seniors - Class of 2023 Brianna Ottinger - bottinger@ortn.edu

Juniors- Class of 2024 Heidi Foster - hafoster@ortn.edu

Sophomores- Class of 2025 Ashley Bennewitz abennewitz@ortn.edu

Freshman - Class of 2026 Paige Taylor - hptaylor@ortn.edu

Social Worker: Alison King aking@ortn.edu

Registrar: Rhonda Garrison rsgarrison@ortn.edu

Counseling Administrative Assistant: Amy O'Rourke akorourke@ortn.edu

Link to Website: https://www.ortn.edu/highschool/academics/school-counseling/

Follow our team on Instagram:

Watch for announcements on Twitter: @ORHSCounseling

Below are the most recent updates from the CDC regarding COVID. Please review the flyer for full guidance from the TN Department of Health and CDC. Students do not have to isolate if family members are positive unless symptoms develop.

Students driving to school are required to have a parking tag. There is NO cost; however, they must register their vehicle with Student Services and show their driver's license. Forms can be found in Student Services at Mrs. Viruet's desk.

Students who need lockers can request one on the form below. Students should walk around the school to find a locker that is convenient for them. They should take down the locker number and know the hallway where it is located in order to complete the form. Once the form is completed, they can report to Mrs. Viruet in Student Services to retrieve their combination.

For the last couple of years, the federal government has provided free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of financial status. Free meals comes to an end this year. It is critical families complete the form below. If you have qualified for free or reduced meals in the past, a form MUST be completed or charges will accrue in the cafeteria.

While families may not plan to take advantage of free school meals, many families will qualify for services far beyond meals such as reduced ACT and AP test costs. This information is strictly confidential and can be sent to Julie Brockwell in the Main Office or directly to Dr. Larissa Henderson, Pupil Services.

Parents, students are NOT allowed to carry medications on their person at school. All medications must be registered with our nurse, Lori Gupton. Registration requirements are in the form below. This includes over the counter medications such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl or any type of allergy medications, etc. Students found with medication are subject to disciplinary action, which can include a Zero Tolerance and placement at alternative school. At the end of the school year, parents are responsible for picking up medications before the last day of school. The nurse will properly dispose of all medications remaining on the day of school.

Please reference School Board Policy 6.405 Medications

https://tsba.net/oak-ridge-board-of-education-policy-manual/#students

In order for a student to take their permit test, a form is required from the school. Mrs. Thacker, our attendance secretary, prepares these forms. Requests are accepted through the link below. When school is in session, a completed form may be picked up in the Attendance Office. However, if school is NOT in session, the form will be mailed home by USPS.

Did you know your teen will have their driver's license suspended due to poor grades and/or poor attendance?

Parents should review this information with their teen drivers!!

CDC is asking everyone to continue to save your Coke product lids/case codes. Each cap earns $.05 for this classroom! Coke lids/codes can be dropped in Student Services OR families set up their own account @ https://us.coca-cola.com/give/schools, input your codes and donate them to Oak Ridge High School. All proceeds donated go to CDC to help pay for classroom supplies, materials and student needs. Thank you for your support!!!

THIS MONEY SUPPORTS OUR CDC CLASSROOM!

Registration begins Thursday, September 1, 2022 with points starting to accumulate on September 7th and cards have to be registered by December 31st to count for this year. The program runs through May 9, 2023.

https://www.foodcity.com/schoolbucks/#:~:text=2022%2D23%20School,or%20lottery%20tickets.

How Can I Link My School Online?

• Visit http://www.foodcity.com/schoolbucks
• Click the blue “Login” button under Customer Login
• Enter your username and password for your Food City online account.
• At the top of the page click, “My Account”. This will load the customer dashboard page.
• Below the Fuel Bucks section, you will find “My School Bucks” section. (The total school bucks earned will show here as well)
• Click the “Update School” link listed below. Select the school and click, “Save”

School Bucks-Store Level Enrollment

• Stores can enroll schools from VC Enroll for customers who do not have access to the internet. (Only HRCs and HCs have authorized access.)
• To do so they enter the customers ValuCard number, selected “Look UP” and select the school the customer has chosen in the School Bucks field.

Common Questions

• Why is my school not on my receipt? Schools are no longer listed on receipts but can be managed anytime from their online account.

• When does this begin/end? The program runs from SEPTEMBER 1 THROUGH MAY 9, 2023.

Deadline to register is December 31, 2022.

Total awarded amount: $700,000

**PLEASE HELP OUR CLASS RAISE $$ BY REGISTERING!! Share w/ everyone you know!

• Sign into your Kroger account at Kroger.com or set up an account with your Kroger card if you haven’t registered your card before

• Click on your name to access your information (“My Account”)

• Choose account summary

• At the bottom of the page, you will see “community rewards”

• Click “Enroll”

• You are now officially linked to our account to earn money for the school through your purchases.

If you are using the app to enroll, click the three bars and choose "Rewards" then

"Community Rewards."

If you have any problems, please call Kroger at 1-800-576-4377

The following ORHS organizations have an Amazon Support account:

ORHS - Band Boosters

ORHS - PTSO

ORHS - Orchestra Booster Club

ORHS - Wildcat Football Boosters

ORS - Public School Education Foundation

Amazon Prime membership benefits are the SAME. The only difference is Amazon makes a donation to your chosen organization. Share this information with your friends, grandparents, alumni, and anyone who shops Amazon.

• Go to Amazon.com and login to your account or set one up if you will shop on Amazon.com

• Search for amazon smiles charity choices

• Click Change Charitable Organization at the top of the page

• Now click on #1 Sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser.

• On the right hand side you will see pick your own charitable organization:

• Type in Oak Ridge School and click search

As a reminder, this year our administration and Counseling Department moved to grade level teams to serve students for their scholastic careers at ORHS. In order to provide families with the swiftest and most accurate information, we encourage reaching out directly to the grade level administrator and/or counselor team when questions arise with students.

9th Grade team: Beth Estep kestep@ortn.edu and Paige Taylor hptaylor@ortn.edu

10th Grade team: Russ Wise rewise@ortn.edu and Ashley Bennewitz abennewitz@ortn.edu

11th Grade team: Stephanie Thompson sathompson@ortn.edu and Heidi Foster hafoster@ortn.edu

12th Grade team: David Foust djfoust@ortn.edu and Brianna Ottinger bottinger@ortn.edu

Executive Principal - Drayton Hawkins dshawkins@ortn.edu

SENIORS - David Foust djfoust@ortn.edu

Juniors - Stephanie Thompson sathompson@ortn.edu

Sophomores - Russ Wise rewise@ortn.edu

Freshman - Beth Estep kestep@ortn.edu

Curriculum Principal - Jennifer Milligan jmmilligan2@ortn.edu

It is our desire to keep our families informed of all of the activity and awesome news coming from Oak Ridge High School. We have multiple platforms for connection. We encourage you to explore the many ways and provide feedback!

Website - http://www.ortn.edu/highschool/

Daily Bulletin - http://www.ortn.edu/highschool/daily-bulletin/

Channel 15 at 7:50 AM - Watch the announcements each morning by our Crew! YouTube Streaming: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL9N_azmWeQByrIW6pWLBlQ

Live in Knox/Anderson/Roane - If you live throughout Anderson/Roane/Knox counties and have ATT Uverse you can find us on Channel 99 – just select the Oak Ridge Schools option.

INews - http://www.ortn.edu/highschool/news-events/news-links/

Skylert Messages and Emails - Please make sure your current email address and phone numbers are up to date!!!

PTSO Newsletter - PTSO distributes a VERY detailed quarterly newsletter to inform parents of upcoming events and LOTS of counseling information! This comes to your email! They also have a presence on the website: http://www.orhs-ptso.org/news-information with tons of information! PTSO also has a Facebook presence, and we encourage you to "LIKE" their page! https://www.facebook.com/ORHSPTSO/

Twitter - Follow the accounts listed below

Email: tseals@ortn.edu
Website: http://www.ortn.edu/highschool/
Location: 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
Phone: 865-425-9600
Twitter: @ORHSWildcatMGM