All-day classes begin for some kindergartners
Staff writer
Unified School District 410 Board met Monday evening in Hillsboro High School technology center.
Evan Yoder, HES principal, told board members that the elementary teams have been discussing how to strengthen their reading program from the earliest grade on up.
Yoder said some of the kindergarten students were not where they should be in reading levels and kids who are behind have a hard time catching up.
The team has been discussing transitional classrooms. A transitional classroom would be and all-day program between kindergarten and first grade and target students who are not ready to begin first grade after kindergarten.
"This transitional class would target those kids all year long," said Yoder.
As a measure to help some of the students this school year, Yoder said the elementary school is rearranging Michelle Goldsby's schedule starting the second week after Christmas break. Goldsby will be teach a full-time class all day for seven kindergarten students.
"With a little bit of a boost, we can get these kids where they need to be," said Yoder.
The rearranging of the schedule will give the students the help they need without affecting the school budget.
On the December agenda were acceptance of gifts, building reports from the school principals and activities director, supplemental contracts, a request for extended leave of absence, revision of the current copier lease, an executive session dealing with principal and superintendent evaluations, and reports from board members.
The board accepted gifts of $1,200 from Marion County Dairy Heard Improvement Assoc. for the purchase of a dairy product vending machine for HHS; $1,300 from the HHS Athletic Booster Club for video equipment for the athletic department; $84.83 from the HES Site Council for Red Ribbon week at HES; $400 from the HHS Athletic Booster Club, $100 from HES Site Council, and $400 from HHS Site Council for automated external defibrillators; $200 from Emprise State Bank, $100 from Container Services, Inc., $328 from Marion County Substance Abuse Board, and $250 from Hillsboro Kiwanis Club for after-school programs at HES.
Board member Rod Koons asked Yoder about the school library hours and about having the library open during all school hours.
"We aren't being good stewards of our facilities," said Koons.
The board plans to add discussion of library hours and estimated cost of such a change to the January agenda.
In his report, Corey Burton, HMS principal, told board members that following Christmas bread, the middle school will start rotating lunch schedules for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.
Burton also reported that fundraisers for the middle school had raised more than $11,000. Funds will be used to purchase a yearbook for every middle school student, pay for class field trips, and funding for school clubs.
Dale Honeck, HHS principal, told board members the high school site council was looking at the sex education curriculum.
Honeck said the program does not currently meet state standards.
The board voted to grant supplemental contracts for Tyler Marsh, head baseball coach at HHS, and Jess Tracy, coordinator for Paths to Adventure.
Paths to Adventure is an after-school program that will begin at the elementary school. The program is funded through a grant as part of the Federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Grant Program.
Sixth grade teacher, Phil Oelke, requested an extended leave of absence to travel to the Middle East in April 2005.
Although, according to Gordon Mohn, USD 410 School Superintendent, there has been no precedent set with this kind of request, the board voted to approve Oelke's request.
"I think it's an excellent opportunity," said Mohn. "This is a worthwhile experience, and it's something Phil can bring back."
After much discussion, the board voted to update copiers and extend the current copier lease with Modern Office by five months.
The proposed plan is for Modern Office to replace current copiers with remanufactured copiers that have fewer copies. The new lease will combine all district copiers with a composite number of monthly copies and lower overage charges from $0.017 to $0.008 per copy.
Other board reports included an update on the Teach to the Future program, technology showcase, and academic excellence night.
Mohn recommended that the board start the third Teach to the Future teacher education in July so that funding can come out of the next year's budget. This would mean the district will have 30 teachers trained in the program by 2005 school year.
The Dec. 23 staff development day will involve a technology showcase. Fourteen staff members will present ways of integrating technology into the classroom.
Dec. 17 the district will host Academic Excellence Night during half time at the HHS basketball game. The presentation will recognize the accomplishments of students who achieved the Standard of Excellence on state assessments.
The board also received a report on student fund-raising activities for the 2003-04 school year.
The elementary school reported fund raisers totaling $4,700. The middle school reported fund raisers totaling approximately $1,700. Fund raising totals for the high school for 2003-04 were $21,764.62.
The next USD 410 board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10, in HHS technology center. The public is welcome.
