Cleveland High wrestling coach named TSSAA Coach of the Year
Cleveland High School wrestling coach Joey Knox was recently named the 2018-2019 TSSAA Wrestling Coach of the Year. The Cleveland City Schools coach has a head coaching record of 65-2, has led the Blue Raiders to four state titles and has coached nine individual state champions.
“Joey Knox is passionate not only about his sport, but more importantly, about his student-athletes,” said Russell Dyer, director of schools for the district, in a statement. “I appreciate his willingness to go above and beyond to do what’s right for the program and our kids.”
Knox has coached at Cleveland High since 2012 and was named Head Coach in 2017. Previously he coached at Chattanooga’s Central High.
“Our wrestling program has a rich tradition of excellence. Coach Knox is a tremendous leader for our championship program and we are honored for him to be recognized for his work,” said Autumn O’Bryan, principal at Cleveland High School, in a statement.
Knox himself was a Southern Conference Champion, a two-time NCAA tournament qualifier and a top 10 nationally-ranked wrestler while attending Dublin High School in Georgia and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Hamilton County Schools, UTC team up to help students prepare for the ACT
A partnership between Hamilton County Schools and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) is bringing ACT preparation courses to students in the district’s high schools.
The multi-week course includes 16 hours of intensive instructor-led ACT prep with students meeting once a week in the weeks before an ACT date, according to a press release. The course uses practice tests, with real test questions, to familiarize students with the test format and build their confidence going into the test.
The program first started at Tyner Academy in 2018, thanks to the UTC Teaching and Learning Institute, one of the district’s Future Ready Institutes, but has expanded to Brainerd High, The Howard School, Red Bank High and Central High this year.
Slots in Central and Red Bank’s courses, funded by the school district, are open to students from other high schools in the district.
“Partnerships with the community like the UTC ACT prep program are vital for our students as we seek to prepare them for success after graduation,” said Blake Freeman, executive director of early post-secondary opportunities, in a statement. “The first students from Tyner to participate in the program have shown significant gains as a result of participation, and we look forward to the results we will see from the additional groups added this year.”
UTC was able to expand the program from just Tyner thanks to university funds for diversity and inclusion efforts. UTC also has a partnership with Educational Testing Consultants (ETC), a national provider of test prep programs. ETC manages the curriculum development and instructional team, and UTC manages the logistics of course delivery for the programs at all five of the participating high school locations.
For more information, visit: www.hcde.org.
Lee University to host Homecoming Music Festival
Lee University will host its Homecoming Music Festival on Friday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Conn Center as a part of the school’s Homecoming celebrations.
“The Homecoming Music Festival will be a fast-paced program that will be entertaining, nostalgic, and have meaningful moments of worship and celebration,” said Brad Moffett, festival director, in a press release.
This year’s festival will feature the Voices of Lee, Large Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Strings, touring choirs, and Jonathan Jung, an assistant professor of piano. In addition, a medley of songs led by former staff and alumni from chapel music experiences throughout the decades will be performed.
The Symphonic Band and its director, Mark Bailey, will also be honored for the band’s 30th anniversary. “This will be a memorable event for our Lee family, as well as our community friends and supporters,” Moffett added.
This event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required.
To reserve a ticket, call the Alumni Relations office at 423-614-8316 or visit www.leehomecoming.com.
If you have news about local schools you’d like included in Class Notes, email Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com.