Ben Carson Reading Room opens at Dalewood Middle School
Students at Dalewood Middle School can now imagine themselves in an ornate, medieval castle while settling down with a book.
The Chattanooga Downtown Rotary and the Carsons Scholars Fund recently announced the opening of a Ben Carson Reading Room at the school.
The Ben Carson Reading Project was founded by retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson and his wife, Candy, to create a literacy-enriched environment for children to become enthusiastic and proficient readers.
"The new Ben Carson Reading Room at Dalewood Middle School will promote leisure reading as a key to unlocking a child's potential," said Chattanooga Rotary Club President Charlie Arant in a statement. "Promoting literacy is a major initiative of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga and we are extremely proud to sponsor the creation of a special room and fill it with hundreds of exciting books for students to explore. We believe that spaces like this help students to become lifetime readers and learners."
This is the second Ben Carson Reading room to be established in Hamilton County. The first opened at Lookout Valley Elementary in January 2016.
Hamilton County Superintendent to hold State of the Schools address
Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson will give a State of the Schools address in partnership with the Hamilton County Council of PTAs on Oct. 21.
The annual address serves to update the community on the recent achievements, progress and upcoming developments of local schools. The event is open to the public.
The meeting will be held at 11 a.m. in the board room at the Hamilton County Department of Education's central office, at 3074 Hickory Valley Road.
Lookout Valley Elementary honors former student, dedicates new gym
Last week, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the new gymnasium at Lookout Valley Elementary School.
The new gym was named in honor of a Lookout Valley student, Aubrey Dylan Reel, who was killed in a car accident during the 2018-19 school year.
"Aubrey Dylan Reel was an exceptional athlete and a special friend to many at the school," according to a press release.
UTC partners with Hamilton County Schools Future Ready Institutes
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor Steve Angle and Hamilton County Schools Superintendent signed the partnership agreement Friday between the university and two Hamilton County Schools.
The partnership brings the Future Ready Institutes of International Baccalaureate (IB) to Ooltewah High and Signal Mountain Middle/High. The IB institutes are two of 27 Future Ready Institutes available to students in Hamilton County.
"It's internationally recognized and has very specific components that, in some ways, mirror some of the skills a student needs to be successful in college," said Valerie Rutledge, dean of the UTC College of Health, Education and Professional Studies, in a statement.
The partnership specifically involves UTC's School of Education and Honors College, which will provide advanced courses to help prepare students at both high schools for college. The School of Education also already partners with the UTC Teaching and Learning Institute at Tyner Academy.
UTC Honors Dean Linda Frost said the partnership is "a perfect fit."
"We value the same things. We stress the same things in our educational models, so this really, really makes a lot of sense," Frost said in a statement. "The Honors College at UTC offers our students so much more-travel, challenges, our Innovations in Honors program and other unique experiences."
If you have news about local schools you'd like included in Class Notes, email Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com.