Soddy-Daisy Army JROTC program among top 5% in the country
The Soddy-Daisy High School JROTC battalion recently earned "Honor Unit with Distinction" for the 35th year in a row.
Honor Unit with Distinction is the highest unit rating a JROTC program can earn during the JROTC program for accreditation and is reserved for the top 5% of Army JROTC programs across the country, according to a press release.
The Trojan Battalion's other accomplishments this year include winning the county rifle championship, hosting the TN State Raider Championship and Hamilton County Schools Academic Bowl and placing in all of the Drill and Raider competitions across the region.
Soddy-Daisy cadets also performed more than 3,900 community service hours.
Signal mountain students support endangered red wolves
Signal Mountain Middle/High School seventh graders raised $3,700 recently for the Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center's breeding program.
The nature center is a participant in the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan and the funds raised by Signal students will help prevent the extinction of the species.
The students held a Red Wolf Silent Auction and worked together to make themed gift baskets from items donated by various community businesses and organizations. The students also completed projects which they used to educate auction participants and community members about the endangered status of the red wolf.
"The kids worked like champs and prepared some amazing baskets and created some very professional-looking posters," Kim Brown, a seventh-grade science teacher at Signal Mountain Middle/High who spearheaded the event, said in a statement. "The community really came together in supporting this project."
This is the third year the students have held the event and have raised more than $8,000 for the program.
Three school districts recipients of state School Bus Replacement Grant
Rep. Ron Travis, R-Dayton, announced last week that Bledsoe County Schools, Sequatchie County Board of Education, and Roane County Board of Education were among 39 recipients of the School Bus Replacement Grant Program from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
According to TDEC, the nearly $9 million statewide grant each district receives is funded by the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust and will support school bus replacement projects across Tennessee.
Grant recipients will be able to replace a total of 143 school buses with new diesel, all electric, propane and compressed natural gas school buses, according to a press release.
"The safety and security of our students is one of my top priorities," Travis said in a statement. "During the 2019 legislative session, I voted to enhance school and school bus safety – which is why I am pleased Bledsoe, Sequatchie and Roane Counties are receiving this important funding. Now students will have reliable and safe transportation to and from school while also preserving our air quality and great outdoors."
For more information about the School Bus Replacement Grant Program, visit www.tn.gov/environment.
Rivermont and Middle Valley elementary schools win Probasco Readers Program
The winners of the annual Probasco Readers Program for the 2018-19 school year are Middle Valley Elementary and Rivermont Elementary.
Middle Valley won the large school award, and Rivermont took the small school honor. The latest win is the sixth time Middle Valley Elementary has won their division. Each school won $5,000 for their libraries.
Probasco Readers is an awards program of Read 20, a public-private partnership aimed at developing a community of readers by promoting awareness of the importance of reading. Read 20 recommends reading with children at least 20 minutes a day or more.
Throughout the year, students kept a reading log and charted their progress. Teachers tracked their classroom progress and thought of creative ways to encourage reading outside of class, according to a press release.
If you have news about local schools you'd like included in Class Notes, email Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com.