Winter Formal ticket sales begin TUESDAY, January 24th. Tickets are $20 and will be sold in the arena kiosk and at the top of the cafeteria. Ticket sales will cease once tickets are sold out. Also, remember to donate to your favorite Snow Court member as they raise money for Second Harvest in an effort to win Snow Queen and King.

The FAFSA is required for the TNPromise Scholarship and it is the application for the HOPE scholarship. Even if you may not qualify for financial assistance, you must complete the FAFSA for these scholarships. Also, the FAFSA is also how all colleges determine what type of financial aid they can offer students.

Wednesday, March 1st is the FAFSA deadline for the Class of 2023 (fafsa.gov). Failure to file the FAFSA by tomorrow will result is losing scholarships including the TN Promise. Make sure your FAFSA is filed!

The last FAFSA help night of the year is coming up. Please make sure these dates are on your calendars.

• Tuesday, January 24, 2023 5:30-7:30 Financial aid completion night - ORHS Media Center/Library. This is a drop-in session where families can come by during the two hour window to receive FAFSA help from Financial Aid experts.

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

The 2023 Boys’ State will again be at Tennessee Tech University beginning on Sunday – May 21, and concluding on Fri - May 26, 2023.

The Anderson County American Legion Post is hoping to sponsor 2-raising seniors of each high school for the event.

Ron Eslinger, the Post Committee Chair, will begin coordinating the collection of funds; and funding to cover the $425.00 cost per delegate to attend and participate. Your assistance for obtaining funds to cover the cost for an individual, or covering a partial amount towards the cost, will be appreciated.

We are asking that the school staff select 2-students, and an alternate, for representing your school; and anything you can do as obtaining funding.

Hugh Turpin – Post Adjutant

post172adjutant@yahoo.com

Ron Eslinger – Chair: Post #172 Boys’ State Program

ron@eslinger.net

Phone: 865-269-4616

Fax: 865-269-4613

AMERICAN LEGION BOYS STATE

The American Legion Boys' State: Few realize the obligation they have to the public. The American Legion Boys State is not a school room activity, but a practical experience for young men in the actual problems of government as it operates in Tennessee's American Legion Boys State. The American Legion Boys' State is not meant to take the place of Civics or Government, as they are taught in the high schools of the state but is planned so that young men may put into actual practice the theories of Government through actual participation in city, county, and state governments organized as a "Mythical 51st State." The entire program is non-partisan and will not reference any existing political party. Only young men who are in the 11th grade and in the upper third of their class will be eligible to attend. The purpose of this is that young men in the 11th grade will have one more year in their respective high schools and will be in a position to furnish leadership not only in their schools but also in their communities during the year. Tennessee's American Legion Boys State is held on the beautiful Tennessee Tech University campus in Cookeville. Check in time is on a Sunday and the final exercises will be held the following Friday with a parade and inauguration of Boys State Governor. Each spring, the counselors of each high school are made aware of upcoming American Legion Boys State.

See website www.tnboysstate.org Tennessee Tech University awards a scholarship to the Boys State delegate elected American Legion Boys State Governor.

Additionally, delegates who are descendants of a veteran can compete for a Department $1,000.00 Samsung scholarship, and the Department Samsung winner further competes for one of several national $20,000.00 Samsung scholarships. Point of contact at Department Headquarters is Debi Cole (615) 391-5088; email: Debi@TNLegion.org.

The Student Council is hosting a brand-new event this year, our very own movie night! On January 24th, we will be playing Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl in the auditorium from 6-9. Tickets will be $3 per person and food/drinks will also be available for purchase. All are welcome!

Congratulations to ORHS Band and Orchestra Students for earning chairs in the East Tennessee Schools Band and Orchestra Association All-State East Senior Clinic. Several students also earned All State chairs toward the Tennessee Music Education Association All State Bands.

Band had 13 students with 5 All State, and Orchestra had 25 students with 6 All State. The All-State East Honors Clinic will occur February 2-4 in Gatlinburg. The TMEA All State will be held April 19-22 in Nashville.

The Football Banquet will be hosted Wednesday, January 25th. Food and Games will begin at 5:00 and awards will begin at 6:30. Fire and Salt Restaurant will cater the dinner in the Oak Ridge HIgh School Food Court. Players and families are encouraged to sport their Wildcat Swag. Please RSVP via the form below. If you have any questions, please contact candace Eubanks at 865-748-5647.

Willow Brook is looking for a few responsible students who might be willing to work in our 21st Century after school program as a tutor on Wednesdays after school for 2 hours at Willow Brook elementary. The pay is $15 a hour.

If you know any students that might be interested, do you care to have them reach out to myself or Tina Marascia.

Tina Marascia- 21st Century Site Director at Willow Brook

tmmarascia@ortn.edu

During the course of Wellness A, students will participate in a Family Life Education programming called Let’s Talk 101. This programming follows the State of Tennessee Lifetime Wellness Standards and School Board Policy 4.2.13. Per that policy, the parent/guardian has the right to opt their child out of participating in the program. If you would like to opt your child out, please complete the following form using the QR code or link below.

https://forms.office.com/r/Dya2RzvtTg

1. ORNL is excited to reintroduce the Next Generation STEM Internship (NGSI), which provides opportunities for rising juniors, seniors and recent grads attending high schools in Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon and Roane counties to participate in STEM or STEM-related projects with scientists and engineers at ORNL. The eight-week internship begins on June 5 and selected participants receive a stipend of $500 per week for 40 hours of participation. A maximum of five days without stipend may be missed during the appointment period, if necessary, for other commitments. (flyer attached to email)

To be eligible, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident at the time of application
• Be a rising junior, senior, or recent high school graduate in good standing at an accredited high school in Anderson, Blount, Knox, Roane or Loudon county
• Be at least 16 years of age by the time of appointment
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0
• Provide proof of health insurance coverage
• Complete a Zintellect application and acquire recommendations from a current STEM teacher and principal

Applications are due by February 15, 2023. To learn more and to apply go to https://education.ornl.gov/nextgens/.

The Appalachian Entrepreneurship Academy (AEA), developed in partnership with Appalachian State University, EntreEd, and STEM West, prepares the next generation of regional entrepreneurial leaders and thinkers. High school students from across Appalachia will be selected to participate in a comprehensive learning curriculum designed to cultivate creativity, sharpen business acumen, and develop skills essential for entrepreneurial success. The students will have the opportunity to develop and implement business ideas, refine and prototype those ideas, and eventually deliver a shark-tank-style pitch presentation for an audience of entrepreneurs. AEA will be held from July 8-21, 2023, at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. More information and application materials are available at www.arc.gov/AEA. Application is due February 10, 2023.

The Appalachian STEM Academy is a hands-on learning experience for Appalachia’s middle and high school students, as well as high school teachers in STEM-related fields. Hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, this program is a gateway to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the Appalachian Region. Working with award-winning scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, high school and middle school students conduct guided group science, math, and computer science technology research projects, while high school teachers work with science practitioners to develop STEM-related curriculum. Application is due February 10, 2023. To learn more and to apply go to https://www.arc.gov/arc-oak-ridge-summer-program/. (flyers are attached to email)

• Middle School STEM Academy Session 1: July 8-14, 2023
• Middle School STEM Academy Session 2: July 15-21, 2023
• High School STEM Academy (students and teachers): July 8-21, 2023

Beginning Monday, January 9, seniors will have the ability to submit senior quotes and memories to the yearbook. All quotes and memories are subject to editing and elimination based on school appropriateness. Seniors will receive a link in Skyward starting Monday for the survey, and it will close on Friday at midnight

Rotary International sponsors students for Exchange visits to other countries for both educational and cultural experiences. There are typically both Long Term (one full school year) and Short Term (summer) opportunities. While the long term program is recovering from pandemic-related issues, the Short Term program is again available.

The Short Term Program involves the exchange of students between two families of different countries for 3-4 weeks in each country. The parents of the students would be responsible for the cost of airfare for their child to and from the selected country, and for the food and lodging of the visiting student during their stay. The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge will be glad to meet with interested parents/students to discuss details of the program and would coordinate the Exchange.

Brent Rankin is the Exchange Officer for the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, and his contact information is brentrankin1@gmail.com.

Come support the Wildcats and support your Class by getting in free.

Friday January 27 is Sophomore Night -

Tuesday, January 31 is Junior Night

Tuesday, February 6 is Senior Night

Check with your class officers for the Theme of the Evening.

The ORHS Swim Team finished the regular season undefeated by beating Lenoir City 199-120, Halls 165-90, Catholic 193-129, Webb 198-88, and Maryville 171-142. Amazingly the team did this without ever having their full team at a single swim meet. The Wildcats will be back in action at the KISL City Championships on Saturday, Jan. 28th at UTK. Here are some of the regular season highlights: 81 of 106 total events were won by an OR swimmer or an OR relay team (76% win percentage). We never trailed in points at any time in a single swim meet. We won 28 out of 32 Relay events including never losing the Girls or Boys Medley relays nor the Girls or Boys 4x100 Free Relays (88% win percentage). 24 State cuts were made and 55 KISL cuts were made. Ella Kendall, Andrew Chou, and Stephen Zhukov won every individual and relay event at all 5 swim meets. Pictured right - Andrew Chou

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

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

• Masquers Board Game Day – 1/21 – Cafeteria 2-4pm – Let’s Play!
• Tech Applications due on 1/25 and interviews on 2/1 – links to application and sign-up for interview in the newsletter.
• Parent Meeting on Tuesday 1/31 @ 5:30pm
• Improve practice time change (Tuesdays & Wednesday 4:30-6)
• Build Days and Costume Parade added to Important Dates

For more Masquers News checkout our Website: https://orhsmasquers.my.canva.site/

Important Dates to Remember for 2022-23:

• January 4th-April 21st – Rehearsals for Atomic Acts (Wednesdays - Acting Workshops 2-4 & Improv from 4-7)
  
• March 3rd-5th – Performances of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
• April 22nd – Atomic Acts Performance
• May 5th - Masquers Awards Banquet

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

• 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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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