Rock Creek Elementary unveils community-made 'Rocket Chair'; district highlights student awards and a student shadowing clinic

Rock Creek Elementary on Monday celebrated the completion of a community-made mosaic ‘‘Rocket Chair’’ that staff, students, families and volunteers helped assemble during a year-long project, the school’s presenter told the board.

The school screened a video that documented the project and recognized staff and partners who contributed, including local volunteers and the artist who assisted with the mosaic workshops. The presenter said Rock Creek received $12,659 in grants this school year to support programs.

A guest speaker introduced during the program, Dr. John Blevins, a Franklin County graduate and former operations engineer on a launch mission, congratulated students and urged the community to support science, art and exploration in public education.

The board also heard student recognitions: speakers highlighted Franklin County High School students who posted high ACT scores (seven students scored 30 or above this year) and one student noted as a potential National Merit semifinalist. The district recognized student athletes and other student achievements during the meeting.

Separately, a presenter described a partnership with Remote Area Medical that will offer 10 student shadowing slots in coordination with the HOSA program. The pop-up clinic is planned with a setup date of June 5 and clinic days on June 6–7; participants will receive Tennessee Promise hours and related documentation for resumes.

The board applauded the school’s community outreach, the student achievements and the new experiential learning opportunity; no formal board action was required for the celebration and announcements.