Those connected with the Claiborne school system are concentrating this year on ‘good news.’ Following is just a taste of the many positive remarks made by the personnel inside the various school campuses.

The third graders at Tazewell – New Tazewell Primary (TNT) will be experiencing extracurricular activities courtesy of two grants aimed at enhancing student learning. The first grant will allow the students to attend the Muse Children’s Museum in Knoxville for free. The second one provides $900 in funds from the Tennessee Arts Commission to cover the cost of a visit to the school next spring of an educational and activities program.

Soldiers Memorial Middle School (SMMS) is working the Fostering Academic Success Together (FAST) program to allow students who have missed critical classroom assignments and assessments to ‘catch up’ during non-instructional time.

Kindergarten teachers at Springdale Elementary are using the ‘Bloomz’ app. The application allows instructors to send pictures, newsletters, order forms and other paperwork to student parents via a software program. According to the report, all parents have signed up and have expressed ‘thumbs up’ for the program.

The sixth graders at Springdale are working on a ‘solar oven’ project during science class.

The recent solar eclipse was a learning experience for students at H.Y. Livesay. It appears the fifth graders went all out for the event designing T-shirts, while the sixth grade students made eclipse viewing boxes. Not to be overshadowed, the seventh and eighth graders completed various projects, researched and wrote about the eclipse.

Also at Livesay, the sixth grade students have begun a “Sports Center News” program, videotaped once per month using a cycle of student ‘commentators.’

Forge Ridge applied for and received a $10,000 physical education grant that will be used to purchase much needed equipment and curriculum.

Ellen Myers Primary is celebrating the countywide program Parents as Reading Partners, which encourages parents to read with their children. The program includes recognition for those students who complete a monthly reading log.

Acts of kindness are also being rewarded at Ellen Myers via a program that posts on the campus billboard the names and types of good deeds done by students or adults. Each morning, a kindness shout-out goes over the intercom to each person whose name is on the board.

At Cumberland Gap High, freshman academy teachers are meeting for weekly reviews of students work, grades, successes and needs. Rewards in the form of T-shirts and restaurant coupons are being offered to those students who have shown success in these areas.

The horse judging team at Claiborne High finished fourth out of 30 teams during the Tennessee Tech competition.

Clairfield Elementary is in the process of trading out their old and unsafe computer and library mobile facility for a slightly used one that is larger, much newer and better constructed.