Applications open for Unum's school mini-grant program
Hamilton County educators are now eligible to apply for mini-grants of up to $1,000 as part of Unum's Strong Schools program.
Unum is looking for educators who demonstrate creative ways to engage students and improve their learning and success, with special emphasis this year on integration of career prep with academic content, according to a news release.
The program, launched in 2009, has been on hiatus since 2017, but it was revamped this year with up to $50,000 available.
The deadline to apply is June 7. For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/2WfZUth.
Dalton Public Schools rolls out new crisis notification system
Dalton Public Schools has partnered with Centegix, a national K-12 safety and security company, to pilot a crisis alert notification system that uses the employee identification badge at Roan School.
The system allows any employee in the school to notify staff of an emergency situation anywhere on the school campus.
The alert system is able to pinpoint the location of the person who needs help and also allows for immediate visual and audio notifications of an emergency to all building occupants, according to the district.
School districts across the country have vamped up security measures since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, 2018.
In the past year, area school districts have increased school security by implementing tighter building control, access lock systems and new visitor management identification systems such as Raptor, used by Hamilton County Schools.
Students compete in second annual Chattanooga Green Prix
The atmosphere was electric for the second annual Chattanooga Green Prix held May 11 at Chattanooga State Community College.
Students from 28 Hamilton County schools built cars this school year using base kit and participated in the race event. The base kit included a base car with a chassis, wheels, motor, batteries and instructions to assemble the kits.
Fourteen elementary school teams competed, up from only 2 teams in 2018, and 14 participated in the middle and high school division.
Rivermont Elementary placed first in the elementary division; Hixson Middle placed second in the middle school division; and Red Bank High finished first in the high school division.
Teams also received awards for presentation and endurance in the competition. In the elementary division, Hardy Elementary took first in presentation and Harrison Elementary won the Bill Perry Perseverance Award.
In the middle school division, Hixson Middle took first place in endurance, and Ooltewah Middle placed first in the presentation category.
Red Bank High also finished first in endurance for the high school division.
Hamilton County school board members to hold budget meetings
Several school board members are holding meetings, some in collaboration with their county commissioner counterpart, to discuss the school district's proposed budget and the potential for a property tax rate increase this year.
Here is the current schedule of meetings:
> May 21 at 6 p.m.: District 8 meeting with school board member Tucker McClendon at East Ridge High School, 4320 Bennett Rd.
> May 23 at 5:30 p.m.: District 4 meeting with Commissioner Warren Mackey at Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church, 1734 E. Third St.
> May 28 at 6 p.m.: District 6 meeting with Commissioner David Sharpe and school board member Jenny Hill at the downtown Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St.
For a complete list of scheduled budget meetings, visit: www.timesfreepress.com.
If you have news about local schools you'd like included in Class Notes, email Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com.